Stronger Than Yesterday
by TchaikovskysDream
Summary: Their team motto was "stronger than yesterday." Easier said than done. Yesterday, Neji wasn't dead. Yesterday, her life didn't depend on keeping a secret. Yesterday, she wasn't pregnant with an illegitimate child of the Hyuga clan. Today, Tenten sees no reason to become stronger. [Post Fourth Shinobi War] [NejiTen romance] [LeeTen friendship] [Canon as possible]
1. The News

Hello everyone! I've been away from fanfiction for numerous years and I decided to take a chance and come back. With episodes of Boruto currently airing, my hype is real. I currently have a slight obsession with the Naruto fandom, specifically specific couples, NejiTen being one. So, because of this, here's a story. I'm going to try to make it as canon as possible. So without further ado...

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After the war, her life became an endless rut. She went through the same mundane actions, over and over. It was all she could do to keep herself from thinking about him. But suddenly, right before her eyes, her life was tossed a curve ball and she could no longer walk through the trench that she dug for herself.

"Tenten, are you alright? Tenten?!"

Her attention was brought back to reality when she heard Shizune voice calling her name.

Suddenly, her memories came flooding back to her mind, and she was, once again, able to recall the day's events.

Her day began by waking up to the noises Lee had been making around her house, the same way her days have begun since the war ended. Tenten and Lee weren't romantically involved, but they needed each other's presence. The war took a toll on everyone in the village, both physically and mentally. Everyone experienced loss in one way or another and everyone needed to find their personal coping mechanism. For Lee and Tenten, they unconsciously made the decision not to dwell on the sorrow they felt due to the death of their teammate but instead attempted to continue as if nothing in their life had changed.

The night after the Infinite Tsukuyomi was released, they returned to their respected homes. Not even an hour had passed before Lee was knocking on Tenten's door, tears streaming down his face. No words were spoken as Tenten gently took Lee's hand and guided him to her bedroom. The two crawled into bed and held onto each other as they both cried: Lee sobbing loudly while Tenten has silent tears falling down her face. From that night forward, once dusk hit, Lee showed up at Tenten's house. At night, they never spoke to each other, neither of them having any words to describe the emptiness they felt without their teammate.

It was at that point that their lives became stuck on a repeat. Tenten would wake up in the morning to find her bed empty and the lingering scent of Lee's cooking from the kitchen. She would remove herself from the warmth of her bed and make her way to the small kitchen in her house to find Lee preparing breakfast for the two of them. At this hour, no one would have ever been able to tell how much of a toll Lee's emotions had taken. He appeared to be the same Lee she always knew: glowing, energetic, and yelling nonsense about youthfulness.

During their meal, they would spark up a light conversation. These conversations were anywhere from predicting the day's weather to discussing the current movies out in the theater. The war and their fallen comrade was a taboo subject and was never brought up in conversation.

Following breakfast, Lee would help Tenten clean up the morning mess and the two teammates would head down to the training grounds. They would begin their routine with some laps around the village. Tenten would usually lose stamina around the 72nd lap. At that point, she would practice with her weapons while Lee ran some more laps. After Lee was satisfied with how many laps around the village he completed, Lee and Tenten would spar, one on one.

It was the same every day. After training, they would assist with rebuilding any damages to the village. After that, they would go out to dinner, sometimes just the two of them, but frequently with other members of Konoha 11. Once the sun started to go down, they would say their goodbyes and make their way out of the restaurant. Before they headed off in opposite directions, Tenten would give Lee a look, silently inviting him over to her house. Despite this invitation, Lee would return to his own home every evening, determined to get through a night all on his own, not wanting to have to depend on Tenten's help with something as mundane as falling asleep. In the end, though, Lee would end up knocking on Tenten's door and she would invite him to sleep in the same bed as her. Day to day, it never changed. That is, until the events of this morning.

Tenten woke up and made her way to the kitchen for her first meal of the day but, on that particular day, she had no appetite to eat the food Lee had prepared. Nausea and distaste took over her as she merely sat on a kitchen chair, unable to eat anything that occupied the table. Lee was slightly concerned and pressured her to eat something. Though Tenten's stomach was upsetting her, she did manage to eat a piece of toast without her nausea getting the best of her. Once she finished her light mean, both Tenten and Lee took off to the training ground. As they ran their laps, Tenten felt exhausted and only managed to run 46 laps around the village. She stopped at the training ground, panting hard, trying to catch her breath before she started to unload the weapons in her pouch. Lee approached her, asking if she wanted to go home and rest instead of continuing with their training. Tenten insisted that she was okay and began her target practice while Lee ran more laps.

Soon after, Tenten and Lee began their sparring. Tenten held her ground against Lee's furious fists, but it was obvious to both her and her partner that her stamina was lacking severely that day. Lee had a look of concern the entire time they were fighting each other, but Tenten had a contrasting look of determination in her eyes. It wasn't until Tenten threw a kunai, which landed at least a foot away from where Lee was standing, that Lee decided to put a stop to their training.

"Tenten, what is wrong? You never miss your target. I am concerned that something might be wrong."

"Lee, I'm fine, I'm just a little under the weather I guess. I'm probably getting a cold. Let's just keep going."

Before Tenten could raise her kunai in defense, her eyelids got a sudden heaviness to them and she felt herself falling. The last thing she remembered was Lee yelling her name and running towards her.

Currently, she was conscious and resting in a bed at Konoha's hospital. Her gaze was on Shizune, trying to register what the medic just said to her.

"I'm sorry, what?"

Shizune sighed and got a pained look in her eye.

"Tenten, this is a lot to take in, I know, but I need to know that you're with me and that you hear and understand what I'm saying."

Tenten turned her eyes away from Shizune and looked at her hands that were lying in her lap. She heard what Shizune said, yes, but did she truly understand? Her life was on repeat, the same events over and over. It was the only way she could focus on the day without breaking down in tears. If the repetition were to stop, would she be able manage? So far, she had succeeded in suppressing the memory of her genius teammate. She didn't want to think about him. She didn't want the world to know that Tenten, the strongly willed kunoichi with 100% accuracy, was crumbling away in weakness. But how was she supposed to go on without thinking about him now?

"Tenten!"

Lost in thought again, Tenten snapped her face to look at Shizune's. There was a momentary look of surprise on her face before a blank look returned to her face.

"I'm sorry Shizune, could you repeat what you said? I'm listening, I am, but I just can't seem to register what you said."

Shizune's face softened as she spoke again.

"Tenten, your pregnant."


	2. The Admission

R&R, please!

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All Tenten could manage at that point was stare at Shizune. She tried numerous times to make an effort to speak, but Tenten's body was frozen. She had no idea what she should be feeling. Happiness? Sadness? Anger? Worry? The only thing she could feel was emptiness.

"Tenten, do you understand what I'm saying now?"

Tenten summoned up enough energy to nod her head. The silence that followed seemed to last for an eternity. Shizune was too afraid to speak to Tenten. Was a congratulation in order? No, it was clear that this was not the kind of pregnancy where friends gather to cry tears of joy. This was an undesired pregnancy. This was a pregnancy that is going to cause so much sadness and frustration for Tenten in the future.

The silence lingered, but Shizune soon sighed, unable to maintain the current dreary state of the room.

"Tenten, I don't know what you're thinking right now, but remember, you're not alone. You are a member of the Hidden Leaf Village. You have so many friends, myself included, who will do anything in their power to help you and to allow you to be happy. This is not a burden that you have to bear alone."

While the expression on Tenten's face did not change, her figure did lose a few vertical inches as she released the tension in her back that she did not realize she had.

Shizune seemed to relax a bit at Tenten's reaction and continued to talk to her.

"Speaking of which, you've had a friend outside your room for quite some time now. My guess is that he's very worried about you. Do you want me to invite him in?"

Tenten nodded, knowing exactly whom Shizune was talking about. Shizune gave Tenten one last small smile before she turned and walked towards the door. Tenten heard Shizune speak with someone before Lee entered the room, trying his best to appear as small as he possibly could. He shut the door behind him, but he stayed near the entrance to the room, cautious about the possibility of frightening Tenten if he was too reckless.

"Um, Tenten, may I come in?"

Tenten's response was a small nod.

Lee took quiet steps towards Tenten's bed. Once he got close to her, he stopped moving and kept as still as he possibly could. At that point, he took in Tenten's appearance. While she had no visible wounds, the exhaustion on her face was all too obvious. She had bags under her eyes, she had hair sticking out from all corners of her head and she was trembling slightly. Lee's heart broke, for he had no idea what was causing Tenten's poor condition, nor did he know how to help her. All he could do was watch as Tenten was slipping further and further from sanity.

No. This was not acceptable. If Sakura or any of Tenten's other female friends were here, they wouldn't hesitate to attempt to comfort her. If Gai were here, he would begin a kind conversation in an effort to prevent her from thinking about what was putting her into her current mood. Even the genius Hyuga, as stoic as he was, never failed at putting a smile on Tenten's face. With this thought, Lee swallowed the large lump that had formed in his throat and he started to speak.

"How are you feeling? I was shocked when you passed out while we were training. I caught you when you fell, but after that, I was petrified and had no clue what to do. Thankfully, some animal caused a nearby bush to shake, surprising me and I was able to think clearly again. I carried you straight here and Shizune took you into a room. That was about four hours ago. I know I should have gone home, but I wanted to be here to make sure you were alright."

Tenten listened to Lee's words, but she did not reply. She stayed in the same position that he had found her in. Her eyes were lifeless as she stared at the bed sheets. What Lee did next caused emotions to come flooding into Tenten's mind. He slowly reached out his hand and gently touched Tenten's. At that moment, Tenten flung her arms around Lee's shoulders, pulling him close to her, as she wept hard. Lee was shocked but still wrapped his arms firmly around Tenten's waist. Lee has seen Tenten cry many times but never has he seen Tenten lose her composure this much. Even when they discovered the news that Neji was dead, Tenten had tears streaming down her face but she stood tall and was in control of herself. Lee knew at this moment that something was truly wrong with Tenten.

He held on to her until her crying finally subsided. She was still trembling and was breathing hard, but Lee knew that she was in a significantly better emotional condition than she was a moment before. He took this time to speak to her again.

"Tenten, you do not have to tell me what is wrong if you do not desire, but I wish to help you. I would like to know what is causing this sadness so I can try to put a stop to it. In the meantime, Shizune told me that there is no need to keep you here, so if you do not mind, I would like to accompany you to your house."

Tenten sniffled then lifted her head to look at Lee. She had a small smile on her face, for she was glad that Lee was there for her at that moment. Say what you want about Lee, but he is a caring and compassionate teammate and friend, through and through.

Lee helped Tenten as she got out of bed. She was sore from the exhaustion she has endured, but she was fully capable of moving independently. She made her way out the door, Lee following closely, and headed towards the hospital exit. As Lee and Tenten were walking, they ran into Sakura, who seemed to be beginning her shift at the hospital. She gave a loving smile to the two teammates.

"Hey, Tenten! How are you feeling? Shizune told me that Lee brought you here after you passed out during training."

Despite Tenten being glad that Sakura was worried about her, her eyes widened in shock.

"Did Shizune tell you anything else?"

Tenten was well aware that even though patient confidentiality rules existed at the hospital, she knew that certain medic ninjas did not always follow these rules. Tsunade, Shizune, and Sakura were known to discuss when a friend of theirs was in the hospital for whatever reason. If someone was sick or hurt, all three women knew and in turn, all of Konoha knew. Tenten did appreciate her friends, but no one was allowed to know the reason behind her hospital visit today.

"If you mean 'Did Shizune tell me why you passed out?' then no. She seemed pretty eerie though. Is everything okay Tenten?"

Tenten looked at the ground and stayed silent, not wanting to answer Sakura's question. Thankfully, Lee noticed Tenten's emotional drop and answered Sakura's question for Tenten.

"Tenten seems to still be shaken up from when she collapsed. I suggest we let her go home and give her time to think before we pressure her with questions."

Sakura looked at Lee, her mouth slightly ajar. She was shocked at how much Lee has matured in this moment. She rarely had any chances to spend time with Lee since the war ended, so Sakura had to wonder, was he acting like this because the war changed him, or is it simply due to his feelings towards his teammate?

"Yeah, you're right Lee. Sorry for bothering you guys. I hope you get to feeling better, Tenten."

Tenten gave a small smile while Lee had on his large, trademark smile, his teeth slightly gleaming in the light.

"Thank you, Sakura! I will make sure to take great care of the Leaf's precious weapons mistress."

Sakura gave a small chuckle in reply. War or not, Lee is the same upbeat and charismatic person he has always been.

And with that, Lee and Tenten made their way out of the hospital and in the direction of Tenten's house. The trek was silent, but not the same uncomfortable silence that the two had to witness in Tenten's hospital room. The slight chatter of the Konoha Streets kept the two sane. It was relaxing hearing the hustle and bustle of the village. Many repairs still had to be made to most of the buildings, and there were many people still grieving the loss of loved ones, but generally speaking, the village was livelier than it has ever been.

Tenten and Lee eventually arrived at Tenten's house. She opened the door and walked in, Lee following her inside. Tenten took a few steps inside and stood in the middle of the living room while Lee continued walking, attempting to start some kind of conversation.

"I could cook dinner for you if you would like. I am sure you are hungry after that hospital visit. Or we can go out to dinner like we usually do. Though your stomach was causing problems this morning, maybe I should cook something light to settle it. Whichever you decide, you should get washed up regardless. I will go draw a bath for you."

When Lee turns his back on Tenten, making his way to the bathroom, he hears Tenten mumble something, under her breath. Lee turned back around to see Tenen clenching her fists and staring down at the floor.

"I'm sorry Tenten, I could not hear you. Could you repeat what you said?"

Tenten picked up her head and Lee could see the tears falling from her eyes. After a short pause, Tenten repeats what she said, this time loud enough so Lee could hear.

"I'm pregnant, Lee."

Lee's eyes widened and he took one step closer to Tenten, reaching out a hand in the process, though he could not bring himself to touch her. Many emotions ran through his head. Confusion, relief, anger, finally ending with sorrow. He opened his mouth, intending to speak, but it took him a minute to finally vocalize his thought.

"You mean… Is it…?"

Tenten choked back a sob as she answered Lee before he even got the chance to finish his question.

"Yeah, it's Neji's."

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Looking ahead, I wanted to let you know that the next chapter will be a flashback chapter. That means Neji is back. Yay!


	3. The Assignment

(Before the war)

Tenten walked with Neji and Lee towards the entrance to Yakiniku Q. Tomorrow, all the Chunin and Jonin from the five great nations are to meet in Kumo in preparation for the upcoming war. Because of this, Sakura arranged for her friends to get together one last time before the war began. After Team Gai entered the restaurant, the three members quickly noticed where the others were seated and that their team was the last to arrive. Sakura saw that the three walking in and called out to them.

"Lee! Neji! Tenten! I'm so glad you guys could make it. Take a seat."

The teammates seated themselves at the end of the long table, Neji sitting next to Hinata, his teammates sitting next to him. As they were sitting down, Kiba spoke up with a remark.

"Y'know, for Konoha's fastest team, you guys sure showed up late." At that, Tenten sighed.

"Lee insisted on walking the whole way here on his hands. Neji and I tried to go on ahead of him, but he guilt-tripped us into walking along with him, saying some mumbo jumbo about youthful teamwork."

At that, Lee's expression beamed while Neji kept a straight and relaxed face, a common expression of his. The rest of the occupants of the table began to snicker. Tenten sighed, yet again, before beginning a new conversation amongst her friends.

"So, where's Naruto? Is he on his way, or is he not coming?"

Sakura's face fell slightly as she replied to Tenten's question. "Naruto left with Captain Yamato a few days ago for some sort of island training. The five kage want to try to keep him there during the war, considering he is one of the enemy's main targets."

"Oh right, Madara is after the tailed beasts and Naruto and one other are the only ones that haven't been captured yet," Tenten said.

"I don't know why they don't just let Naruto fight. I mean, come on, he defeated Pein almost single-handedly," Ino chimed in.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes at his teammate before he interjected. "Yeah, but what if Naruto got captured? We'd have a situation on our hands that could be ten times worse than the danger Pein was. I agree with the Kages' decision. Naruto needs to stay as far away from the enemy as possible."

Before an argument could ensue, Sakura quickly changed the conversation topic once again. She turned to face Team Gai.

"So, Tenten, Lee, Neji, we were just talking about our team assignments for the war before you guys showed up. Kakashi-sensei and I are placed in the third division, the mid to short battle range division."

A fire began to rage around Lee's body as he shouted back at Sakura. "That is the team Gai-sensei and I have been placed, as well! Oh Sakura, I cannot wait to fight alongside you! With our youthful support, I am sure that the third division will prevail and will conquer the enemy!"

Sakura began to sulk, mumbling something about switching to the medical division. Ino laughed lightly in her hand before she spoke.

"I'm in the fifth division, the special battle division."

"Me, my sister and Shino are in that division too," Kiba said.

"Well, Shikamaru and I are in the long-range division, the fourth division. I also overheard that Temari was placed in that division too," Choji said as he started to nudge Shikamaru with his elbow. Shikamaru's only response was a mumble of "What a drag."

"I am in the special surprise attack division. We are in charge of ambush attacks," Sai mentioned.

"I was placed in the first division, mid-range battle," said Tenten.

"That's the same division my dad is in!" Choji exclaimed.

"My father, as well," Hinata silently added.

Ino's eyes widened slightly as she began to speak. "Oh wow, you're parents have to fight in battle? I guess I'm lucky that my dad is in charge of intelligence. My dad and Shikamaru's dad, the chief strategist, get to stay at headquarters during the entire war."

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch, Ino. This is war. Everyone's lives are on the line. No one is safer than another," Shikamaru said, slightly glaring at Ino.

"I'd have to disagree with you there, Shikamaru. I would hate to get stuck in the second division. Fighting short range, right at the front of the battlefield? Might as well start carving the tombstones now."

There were a few nods in response to what Choji had just said. There was a small silent pause before everyone at the table noticed the grim expressions on the faces of the two teenagers who have yet to reveal their division assignment.

Sakura gave a small gasp. "Wait, Hinata, Neji, are you two are going to be in the second division?"

Hinata kept quiet while Neji replied, a slight anger heard in his voice.

"Yes. That is where Hinata and I are most suited to be. If the second division is the fatal division to be in, so be it. We will fight with all our strength. The goal is to defeat the enemy at any cost. I am not afraid to die fighting for my village."

Everyone was silent and simply stared at the Hyuga relatives. Everyone had a look of sorrow in his or her eyes. Suddenly, everyone was pulled from their thoughts as a server delivered the food to the table. At that point, the melancholy mood brought on by Neji's comment was forgotten as everyone ate. Throughout the night, there was a mixture of many small side conversations and a few large conversations that involved the entire table. Once all the food was gone, many people said their goodbyes and left the restaurant. When Hinata started to leave, Neji caught her attention.

"Lady Hinata, shall I accompany you to the Hyuga compound?"

"Oh no, Neji, there's no need for that. Shino and Kiba wanted to walk me over so we could chat some more. Thank you for the offer, though. Goodbye everyone."

The remaining shinobi said their farewells to Team 8 as they walked towards the exit. Neji turned his attention to Tenten after his cousin left. Tenten met Neji's gaze, knowing what he was going to ask.

"Y'know Neji, I don't need protecting. I can walk home by myself."

"I only wish to accompany you. We could chat on the way, as Hinata's team plans to do."

Tenten gave a small smile to her teammate. "Well, I don't see why not. Lee, are you going to join us?"

"I am sorry, but I cannot. Gai-sensei wished to speak to me before we left for Kumo, so I was intending to meet him after we were finished here."

"Okay, suit yourself. Let's go Neji. Bye everyone!"

There were mumbles of goodbyes, as Tenten and Neji walked onto the street outside the restaurant. Despite Neji's plans to 'chat', the two shinobi were silent during their walk. While Neji was very comfortable with the silence, but he also knew that Tenten is typically quite the talker. She was always discussing something. If ever she was silent, it meant she was deep in thought. The two made their way all the way to Tenten's house before Neji spoke.

"What are you thinking about, Tenten?"

Tenten was silent for a few seconds before she decided to answer Neji's question.

"So you're really in the second division. You're really going to fight on the frontline."

"I am."

A few tears fall down Tenten's face in response. Tenten was never a person who was afraid to cry. She might be a strong kunoichi, but she always believed it was stronger to show when you were hurting. She thought only weak cowards kept their emotions bottled inside of themselves. Because of these ideals, anytime she did cry, they were light and quiet tears. Neji decided to keep himself silent anyway, letting Tenten continue with her concerns.

"You can't be in a different division than me. I'm supposed to watch your blind spot. I'm the only one who knows about it. You said it yourself after your fight with Kidomaru, you have a hard time fighting when I'm not there. I don't care that you're in the second division. You're the strongest one out of all of us. You're the only one our age that got promoted to Jonin. I know you normally wouldn't have a problem on the frontline, but you can't fight without me, Neji."

By this point, the tears were streaming down Tenten's face as she tried to relax her heavy breathing. Though he didn't show it, Neji was shocked. Tenten was losing composure, something she has never done before. She was the medium of Team Gai, a 'straight-man' if you will. While Neji was at one end of the spectrum, cool and emotionless, Lee was at the other end, letting his emotions guide his every action. Tenten kept the team balanced with her tremendous judgment. To see her break down like this caused Neji to realize how strongly Tenten felt about the situation. If it were anyone else, Neji would quickly deny that he needed anyone's help in battle, but he had to agree with what Tenten had just said. Without her keeping watch of his blind spot, Neji's fighting becomes sporadic. She's right; he does need her to fight alongside him. But orders are orders, and both Neji and Tenten must fight in the division they were assigned to.

"You are correct Tenten, you cover my blind spot well and I would want nothing more than to fight alongside you during this war, but we cannot disobey our orders. You are in the first division and I am in the second. But let me promise you something," Neji hesitated before continuing. "I'm going to live past this war. There's something I have to do once the war is over."

The words flowed from Neji's mouth, with no thought behind them. He was willing to tell Tenten the secret that he has kept to himself for years. He just hated to see her cry like this and he wanted to do anything he could to lift her spirits.

Tenten sniffled and looked up at Neji.

"And what would that be?"

Tenten didn't even have a moment to think before Neji captured her lips with his own. At first, Tenten was shocked. Why was Neji kissing her? What in the world was going on? To Neji's relief, though, Tenten soon relaxed into the kiss, returning the passion that Neji was showing. After kissing for well over a minute, they pulled away from each other, simply looking into each other's eyes. They stayed in this position as Neji spoke again.

"I've been researching laws of the Hyuga clan. All members of the clan are required to participate in an arranged marriage at the age of 20 in order to keep the bloodline pure. Luckily, I recently found a loophole in this law. Once the war is over, I will announce to Lord Hiashi that I wish to have you as my bride. I have been in love with you since we have been in the academy, Tenten. You were the most tenacious woman in our class and I always admired your kind heart and strong will. It has been my goal for years to find some way to marry you, so I can't die before that happens."

Tenten was at a loss for words. Neji loved her? He has loved her for well over six years, but couldn't admit it due to traditions of the Huyga clan. But he still loved her, just as she has loved him all these years. Tenten couldn't seem to vocalize at that point in time and decided to, instead, lean toward Neji so the two could share another kiss.

Taking control of the situation, Neji began to effortlessly unlock Tenten's front door and guide her into her house, making sure not to break the contact their lips were currently sharing. He shut the door that was behind him with his foot, deepening the kiss, his tongue pressing for permission to enter Tenten's mouth. She accepted his plea as the passion grew between the teammates. Both Neji and Tenten have been hiding behind their feelings for each other for years and all their feelings were being released at that moment in a fiery heat. Tenten eventually broke their session, desperately needing air, though not wanting to end their moment together.

"Do you want to stay the night here, Neji?" Tenten asked nervously.

"I would be honored."

After that, Tenten made her way to her bedroom, Neji following closely behind.

That night, clothes were shed, love was made, and any worry about the upcoming war was forgotten. All Neji and Tenten could think about as they fell asleep were how natural it felt to be in each other's arms.

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Next chapter continues where chapter 2 left off.


	4. The Determination

Hi guys, I'm back with another chapter. One piece of information you guys should know to help you better grasp the story, the 4th great ninja war began on October 8th, meaning Tenten conceived her child on October 7th. This chapter is set at the end of November, meaning she is about a month and a half along. Just so you guys know.

Please, R&R

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Lee watched Tenten closely, with his eyes wider than teacup saucers. He had been opening and closing his mouth, voicing nothing more than senseless mumbles for the past three minutes.

"What? Neji's? But… When? How?"

Tenten was fed up with Lee's stammering by this point. She clenched her fists at her side before she started to yell at Lee.

"How? How do you think Lee? I had sex with Neji! The night before the war WE HAD SEX and now I'm pregnant with HIS CHILD and he's not here anymore to help me because he's DEAD and I don't know what to do anymore!"

Tenten's knees gave out from under her as she collapsed to the floor. Luckily, Lee was fast enough to catch her before she landed on the floor. All he could do for her was hold onto her as she cried all the tears she has been holding in since she discovered that Neji was dead. Lee could never begin to imagine what Tenten was going through. It's heartbreaking to finally confess your love only to have your lover die the very next day. It's even more heartbreaking to have to bear a child that is a reminder of that lost love. Lee continued to hug Tenten tightly until she shifted herself, wanting to speak to Lee again. Tenten wiped some tears from her eyes, but they continued to fall.

"I'm really sorry for breaking down, I just don't know what to do, Lee. You know how strict the Hyuga clan is. If they found out about this, this baby will for sure be killed; I might even be killed too. I can't believe I was irresponsible enough to get into a situation like this. I just wish Neji were here to help me."

Steady tears continued to stream down Tenten's face. Hating to see Tenten in distress, Lee grabbed her shoulders with a little too much force, but regardless, it caused her to look up at Lee.

"You are not alone Tenten. I am your friend and teammate and I will do everything I possibly can to help you."

Tenten gave Lee a sad, almost pitiful smile.

"I really appreciate your help Lee, but I don't think there's anything you can do to fix this."

Lee was silent after that, staring hard into Tenten eyes, choosing his next words carefully.

"What if I took on the responsibility of being the father of this child? We can tell everyone that you and I conceived this child together. I will gladly take on that role if it will save your life and the life of your child."

Tenten's crying abruptly stopped, but her face was still pained and puffy from her previous emotional collapse. She was completely caught off guard by what Lee had just suggested.

"Lee, you don't have to do that. You shouldn't have to shoulder that kind of burden."

Lee's grip on Tenten's shoulder's tightened, causing her to wince slightly.

"It is not a burden, Tenten. I want to do this. I want to help you. I could not help save Neji, and now you are suffering. Please, allow me to make up for letting you lose the love of your life."

"Neji's death wasn't your fault, you know that Lee."

"I still feel partly responsible. If I was just a little faster, I could have gotten to him and blocked the spears."

At this point, tears started to fall from Lee's eyes as well. This is a discussion that Lee and Tenten have had many times in the past. From the time Lee saw Neji's cold, dead body, he convinced himself that he was to blame for Neji's death. No matter how many times Tenten reassured him, Lee was sure that he could have done something to save his teammate.

"Please, Tenten, let me do this for you."

Tenten hugged Lee, burying her face in the crook of his neck, her sobbing returning. Lee wrapped his arms around Tenten's waist, returning the hug, also crying. The two stayed in this position until they no longer had any tears left to cry. Tenten sniffled a few times before pulling away from Lee.

"Thank you for wanting to help me. If you really want to be the father of this baby, I won't stop you and I would really appreciate it."

Lee smiled at Tenten before helping her off of the floor.

"Now, it's really late and I'm super tired. Can we please go to bed?" Tenten asked.

Lee nodded his head as both he and Tenten made their way towards her bedroom.

xxx

The next morning, Tenten attempted to get back into her daily routine. She woke up to the smell of Lee cooking something and she smiled to herself. Maybe things don't have to change yet. Maybe her life is still an endless repeat. Her hopes were shattered when she entered the kitchen to see the breakfast spread that Lee had created.

"Dearest Tenten! I have cooked every breakfast food you could possibly think of. You will be eating for two until the summer so I have made sure that you will have plenty food to get you through this day."

Tenten had no time to appreciate all the effort Lee put in for her because a wave of nausea hit her hard. She put her hand over her mouth and ran to the bathroom so she could empty her stomach. Lee was quickly behind her, rubbing her back trying to calm her down. Once Tenten was done retching, she wiped her mouth and gave a shy smile to Lee.

"I'm really sorry Lee, the smell of all that food really triggered some morning sickness. Thank you for cooking so much, but I think something light would be best for me today."

Lee exclaimed his agreement as he ran to the kitchen to grab Tenten a few pieces of fruit. He returned and handed the fruit Tenten, which she accepted and ate.

"I suggest you take a shower while I clean up the food in the kitchen. When you are done, we can head to the field for our training," Lee said.

Tenten smiled and nodded at Lee.

"Great idea."

xxx

While Tenten's stamina was less than usual, she kept up with Lee much better than she had the previous day. Determined not to let this pregnancy pull her down, Tenten worked hard on her weapon training after her laps around the village. She was able to land forty-six out of fifty bull's-eyes with her eyes closed. After the war, she started to practice her accuracy with her eyes closed. At first, she landed in the center of the targets just barely half of the time. Now, she was close to having perfect accuracy.

"Wow, Tenten. You only missed four this time. I am positive you will be at 100% by tomorrow," Lee said when he approached her, finished with his laps.

"I hope so. Throwing weapons with my eyes closed is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. You want to start sparing now?"

Lee hesitated before answering.

"Are you absolutely sure that you wish to spar? I would not want to do anything that can harm you or your…"

Lee's voice trailed off as if he was afraid to say the b-word.

"My what? My baby? Come on Lee, I was the strongest kunoichi in our class. I can handle it. Just come at me."

Lee stood still, looking at Tenten, afraid to attack her.

"Fine, if you won't come at me, I'll come at you."

With a kunai in hand, Tenten ran towards Lee, swinging the weapon at him once she was close enough. All Lee only blocked, making no attempt to counter-attack at Tenten. Getting frustrated, Tenten opened one of her scrolls, unleashing a plethora of weapons onto Lee. He simply used his taijutsu ability to knock all of the weapons away from him. At this point, Tenten was seething, disappointed that her teammate was not taking her seriously. Deciding to use close combat to try to get the upper hand, Tenten ran towards Lee, using her own taijutsu skills against him. He continued to only halt her moves, making no effort to strike back at Tenten. Because of his limited movements, Tenten found an opening and grabbed Lee's arm and spinning him around before pinning him face first to the ground. She quickly pulled a kunai out of her pouch, holding it at Lee's head as she got on top of him, pinning him down. Taking a few seconds to catch her breath, Tenten got off of Lee and started to leave the training field.

"Tenten, where are you going?"

She turned around quickly, angrily pointing a finger at Lee.

"What was that?! You didn't even try to attack me once. I might be pregnant but I'm not weak. If you're not going to take me seriously, there's no point in me being here. I'll go find someone else to spar with."

Tenten turned her back to Lee and resumed her trek away from the field. She was stopped when Lee called out to her.

"I'm sorry but I cannot spar with you, at least not while you are in your current condition. I trust your ability, but I do not trust my restraint. Normally, I would not be worried about the possibility of hurting you because as a shinobi, I am aware that you have a high pain tolerance, but I do not believe you have the same tolerance while you are with child."

Tenten gawked at Lee. Did he just say that he would no longer spar with her while she was pregnant? What happened to her endless repeat that she wanted so deeply to remain in? Tenten closed her eyes and sighed.

"No, you're right Lee. I'm sorry for yelling at you. It's just that we've trained together every day for the past month and I don't handle change well. But like I said, you're right. Maybe we can find something else to do to fill the time."

Lee's blank expression slowly turned into a beaming smile. He ran towards Tenten and grabbed her hand, pulling her with him as he ran away from the training grounds. Tenten stumbled a few times, trying to keep up with Lee's fast pace. She had no idea where Lee was taking her.

"Lee, where are we going?"

Lee looked back and grinned at her.

"Sorry, it's a secret."

Tenten moaned her disapproval but followed Lee anyway. He started to slow down when they got to the river that runs through Konoha. Lee came to a stop and let go of Tenten's hand, looking around the area for something. Once he found what he was searching for, he took off a few feet, rummaging in a nearby shed. Tenten became very confused when Lee pulled out a canoe from the shed.

"Um, Lee, what is that for?"

"It is a canoe! This is Gai-sensei's and he said I could use it whenever I desire. I have not had the chance to ride in it yet because I have spent all my free time training. Now since we are no longer sparing, I believe it is a great time to experience the thrill of canoeing."

Tenten could only giggle at Lee as she helped him get the canoe to the water. He got into the small boat before helping Tenten in. Then Lee grabbed the ore and pushed against the ground, causing the canoe to drift out into the water. Lee paddled down the river as Tenten relaxed, surrounded by the beauty of nature.

"I had no clue that you always wanting to go canoeing," Tenten said.

"Once Gai-sensei told me he owned a canoe, I wanted to try it. Sadly, it seemed that every time I remembered that I wanted to try canoeing, I was busy doing something like training. I hope that since we are no longer sparing, we can use our free time to do activities that we always wanted to do, but never got a chance to try."

"I like that idea," Tenten said, smiling at Lee.

xxx

Tenten and Lee eventually lost track of time while they were canoeing on the river. The entire time the two teammates had a light conversation, with smiled plastered on their faces. Tenten really enjoyed her time with Lee. For the first time, she had no flashbacks to the war or her fallen comrade. All she could think about was the serenity that was surrounding her and the fun she was having with Lee. Once the sky began to get darker, Lee decided to dock the boat back at the shore and the two made their way to Yakiniku Q for dinner. He told Tenten that Sakura was planning to be there for dinner that day and she invited him to join. When the two entered the building, they heard a familiar voice shout out.

"Hey, there they are!"

Sakura appeared from behind a booth, motioning for Lee and Tenten to come join her. Once they got close enough they saw everyone who was sitting at the long table: Naruto, Sai, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji. Sakura sat down next to her blonde teammate and extended her hand, silently telling Lee and Tenten to also sit. The two sat down at the table but were surprised to see all their friends together at the same time.

"What's the occasion, guys?" Tenten asked.

Sakura narrowed her eyes.

"You really don't know?"

"I do not know of the occasion either. Can you please tell us, Sakura?" Lee said to the pink haired shinobi.

Sakura was dumbfounded as she answered Tenten and Lee's question.

"Did you seriously forget your own birthday, Lee?"

Tenten and Lee exchanged a quick look with each other before looking back at the other sitting at the table. That's right. November 27th, Lee's birthday. It was today. The two rubbed the back other their neck sheepishly as Sai began to speak.

"My birthday was only two days ago, and no one remembered, yet when Sakura tried to put together an event for you, you were the one to forget."

Sakura punched Sai on top of his head.

"You're the one who said that birthdays are pointless and that you didn't want anyone celebrating yours."

Sai rubbed the bump that started to rise on his head. After Sakura gave one last growl to her teammate, she looked back at the members of Team Gai.

"But he's got a point, Lee. How could you forget your own birthday?"

"A lot has happened the since yesterday. It seems that I simply lost track of the date," Lee said in response to Sakura's question.

"Does this have to do with why Tenten was in the hospital yesterday? What is it? It has to be something really important for you to forget your birthday."

Everyone at the table began to murmur. Many people were stunned to hear that Tenten was just in the hospital. Tenten was a strong shinobi so if she was in the hospital, it had to mean something was seriously wrong with her. Lee and Tenten glanced at each other. It was now or never. There was no more hiding the secret.

"Do you want to tell them or should I?"

What Tenten said put everyone at the edge of his or her seat. There were a few seconds of silence before Naruto gave an outburst.

"Come on, don't leave us hanging. What's the big secret you're keeping from us?"

Lee took a deep breath before speaking.

"Tenten and I are expecting a child."


	5. The Appointment

Yay for having to do studying on pregnancy and freaking my mom out when she looked at my computer screen! Anyhoo, thanks for the reviews, guys. They are what keeps me going so keep them coming. Enjoy!

* * *

The entire table was silent until a collective "WHAT?!" rang across the restaurant. Tenten and Lee smiled sheepishly, unsure of what to say at that moment. Everyone sitting at the table looked at one another, also unsure of what to say. Naruto was the one to break the silence, coughing into his hand.

"So, when did you guys get freaky with each other?"

Sakura slapped him hard across the face.

"Naruto, you can't just say things like that. You idiot." Sakura turned her attention back to Tenten and Lee. "I have to say though, I'm sure we're all very curious if you don't mind explaining yourself more, guys."

Tenten smiled as she and Lee sat down, getting more comfortable before fully unveiling their tall tale. Tenten took a deep breath before she spoke.

"To be completely honest, this wasn't planned at all. It just kinda happened." She paused, thinking about what direction she wanted to go with this lie. "It was the night of the big funeral. We were both kinda a mess of emotions and one thing just sorta led to another."

Kiba was the first one to break the silence after that.

"So are you guys like a thing now? Like a couple."

"Me and Lee?! Oh gosh no, that would never happen," Tenten quickly exclaimed.

Lee's face fell slightly while the rest of the table gave the two sad expressions. It was clear to Tenten that her outburst upset Lee. Lee followed Sakura like a puppy since the day he met her, but since Sasuke returned to the village, Lee gave up on his dream of being with Sakura, seeing that she was in love with someone else. Since then, it has been clear to everyone that Lee's interest shifted to his brunette teammate. Tenten examined everyone's faces before she tried to boost Lee's spirits.

"Well, I mean, a lot of stuff has happened in such a short amount of time. There's a lot of stuff to think about and figure out. Regardless of if Lee and I are together, we both know that it's our responsibility to raise this child together, so that's what we're gonna do."

When she finished, Tenten reached for Lee's hand and held it with her own, trying to comfort and reassure him. Everyone else at the table was quiet, trying to process the news they just heard. Out of all the members of Konoha 11, no one would have guessed that Tenten would be the first one to get knocked up, let alone with Lee's kid. Hinata smiled at her late cousin's teammates.

"When is your due date, Tenten? I want to clear my schedule around that time so I can help out if you need it," Hinata said quietly.

"Oh, Hinata, thank you, you don't have to do that. This is just a normal thing that women go through, I can handle it."

Sakura raised an eyebrow at Tenten. "Yeah, okay, but when is your due date?"

Tenten was dumbfounded. "Due date?"

Sakura's face twitched in frustration. "You haven't gotten a checkup yet, have you? I swear none of you take care of your health. I'm gonna gets ulcers trying to take care of all of you." Many people at the table slightly hung their head, mumbling an apology to Sakura. Sakura sighed and continued with her concern for Tenten. "I'm surprised that Shizune didn't give you any kind of checkup."

Tenten rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah, well I don't blame her. When she told me the reason I passed out the other day, I was kind of in denial. I really just wanted to be left alone, so she sent me home."

"Yeah, I guess that's understandable," Sakura said. "I'll tell you what, tomorrow morning, my schedule is completely clear. Stop by the hospital and I get you all set. How does that sound?"

Tenten smiled at the pink haired girl. "I would really appreciate that Sakura. Thank you so much, all of you. I'm happy to know that I don't have to go through this alone."

Naruto gave Tenten a large grin and a thumbs-up. "Of course you aren't alone. All of us are your friends. Now that we're done discussing all this baby stuff, I would like to give a toast to the birthday boy, a brand new soon-to-be father. To Lee!"

Everyone at the table picked up their drinks, aiding in Naruto's toast. Lee smiled and reached his hand out to grab a cup of sake, also wanting to take a drink with his friends. Tenten glared at Lee.

"Don't even think about it."

Lee sighed and poured Tenten and himself a cup of tea. Looks like neither of them will be drinking anytime soon.

xxx

"Hey, Tenten! So glad you could make it. Have a seat on the bed and we'll get started in a minute."

Tenten nodded and took a seat on the hospital bed, watching Sakura wander around the room, grabbing instruments and setting up for her impromptu appointment with Tenten.

"Okay, first I'm gonna start with some basics like checking your blood pressure, temperature, pulse, things like that. Is that alright?" Sakura asked.

"You're the medic," Tenten said smiling at Sakura. As Sakura was checking Tenten's vitals and writing her information on a sheet of paper, Sakura sparked a conversation with her patient.

"So where's Lee? I thought that he would've come with you today."

"He wanted to come, but I insisted he train instead. Since we found out I was pregnant, we stopped our daily training routine because he was worried about my health and the health of the baby. I felt really guilty so I want him to get his own training in whenever he can."

"That's nice," Sakura said, holding a thermometer to Tenten's mouth. Tenten opened her mouth, allowing Sakura to place the wand under her tongue to get her temperature. After the thermometer beeped, Sakura took it out of Tenten's mouth, examined it, and then wrote the number down on her clipboard. Sakura then walked over to the nearby desk, taking a seat and shuffling through papers in a manila folder.

"I went over both yours and Lee's medical records before this. Now there's a little bit of a risk because you have type A blood and Lee is type B. There's a 50% chance that the baby will have type B or type AB, so in a few weeks, we need to run a blood test on the baby to see what the blood type is. If the baby's blood type is B or AB, we have to give you an antibiotic so we don't risk ABO incompatibility."

Tenten's eyes went wide. A blood test on the baby? That would mean that they'd have blood that's a mix of Tenten's and Neji's. This is not good, not good at all.

"No blood test!" Tenten exclaimed.

Sakura stared at Tenten. "What do you mean no blood test? Tenten, there's a 50% chance you could die if we don't do a blood test. It's going to be fine. We're just gonna test for the blood type, that's it."

"You promise that's it?"

"I promise."

Tenten sighed and relaxed her body. "Okay, that's fine. I'm sorry for freaking out."

Sakura smiled kindly at Tenten. "This is all a lot to take in, I know, but you can't get stressed out all the time. It's not good for either of you. Just relax and let me do what I do best, okay?"

Tenten nodded.

"Good, now let's get the ultrasound started up. Lay back and lift up your shirt."

Sakura got the machine ready before she walked up to Tenten. "Okay, this is gonna be a little cold."

Sakura put some ultrasound gel on Tenten's abdomen and began to probe, trying to get a good view of the fetus on the screen. Tenten stared up at the ceiling before a small gasp brought her attention to Sakura.

"What? Is something wrong?"

Sakura laughed. "Haha, no, sorry, nothing's wrong. But look at this. See this little grey blob right there?" Sakura pointed at the ultrasound screen. "That right there is your baby."

Tenten's mouth opened up slightly in amazement. Her baby. Her baby she was having with Neji. It's right there on the screen. They made a life together, but he wasn't there to share the moment with Tenten. Tears started to form around Tenten's eyelids.

"I wish he was here," she whispered.

"What was that? You wish who was here?"

Tenten looked at Sakura with a worried expression. She was surprised that Sakura heard what she said. Tenten panicked trying to find a way out of her situation.

"Um… Lee. I wish he could see his child too, y'know?"

Sakura gave Tenten a sad smile. "You miss Neji, don't you?"

Tenten's face fell. Sakura looked at Tenten cautiously before replying. "I'm positive that he would have been happy for you two. Don't worry, I know that he is watching over you guys and your baby."

Tenten smiled, staring at the other end of the room. Sakura continued to prod around Tenten's stomach, all her attention now on the ultrasound screen. She noticed something on the screen and gave a confused look.

"That can't be right."

Tenten became worried. "What?! What's not right?"

"Well, based on what you told me, you should be seven weeks along, but this baby is well into its 8th week of development."

Sakura looked at Tenten and gave her a harsh stare. Tenten had been acting strangely during this appointment and Sakura was well aware of it. Sakura's expression softened before she spoke.

"Tenten, what's going on? Whatever you're going through, I can help, you just have to tell me what it is."

Tenten's mood quickly turned from being timid to rage. "There's nothing going on Sakura! I had sex with one person, one time! Maybe this is a fast-growing baby. Nothing is set in stone with a pregnancy. Can we please just finish this thing up so I can get back home?"

The rest of the exam was silent and awkward. Sakura finished with the ultrasound and wrote some things down on her clipboard. After that, she did a physical exam of Tenten, poking around her midsection, looking for anything abnormal. When she was finished with that, she wrote the finishing information on the sheet and looked up at Tenten.

"So based on the ultrasound and your medical records, I'm gonna give you a due date of July 14th. I want to see you again in one month."

Sakura shoved a piece of paper into Tenten's chest and exited the room, slamming the door behind her in the process. Tenten winced at the loud sound. Tenten held her face with both her hand mumbling about how stupid and emotional she is. She sighed heavily before leaving the hospital, starting the trek to her house.

xxx

Sakura sat near the front deck of the Konoha hospital, mumbling angrily to herself as she aggressively filled out her paperwork for the day. All of her co-workers were too scared to ask her what was wrong, afraid that she'd send them flying through the wall into another room. It wasn't until two people approached the desk that Sakura spoke loud enough for others to hear.

"Can't you see I'm busy?! There's another person working the desk!" she shouted, her face still looking at the papers below her. The sound of her teammate's voice broke her concentration.

"Well Sai, it seemed we picked a bad time for her. And to think that we took the time to check her schedule and surprise her with a dinner trip for when she was done with work. Let's just go get ramen without her."

"I agree with you Naruto."

The two began to leave the hospital before Sakura stopped them.

"No, guys come back." She sighed. "I'm really sorry, something just has me really frustrated. Get me a couple minutes to finish up here and then we can go out to eat together."

Sakura finished scribbling something onto her papers and tidied up her station before brushing off her clothes and approaching Sai and Naruto. The three took off, out of the hospital, making their way to Ichiraku.

"So will Kakashi-sensei be joining us on this impromptu Team 7 outing?" Sakura asked.

"I spoke with Kakashi earlier and he said he would be too busy to join us," Sai replied to Sakura.

"I can't believe Kakashi is in line to become the next Hokage. It's going to be so weird hearing people call him Lord Hokage and Lord Sixth. To me, Kakashi will always be our perverted, never on time, blunt sensei," Naruto mentioned

Sakura growled at her idiot of a teammate. "It doesn't matter what kind of person Kakashi is. He's a strong shinobi and he was chosen but Lady Tsunade herself to become the next Hokage because of that strength, and you need to respect him because of it."

"Fine, but there's no way I'm calling him Lord Sixth. That's just too weird."

Sakura sighed, knowing that that was the best she was going to get from Naruto. Regardless, she still smiled, trying to imagine people calling her blonde teammate 'Lord Seventh'. Unlike Kakashi, the title seemed to be a perfect fit for Naruto. She pondered more the thought of Naruto as the next Hokage before Sai's voice pulled Sakura out of her own thoughts.

"Sakura, may I ask why you were so angry when we first saw you? I have learned that when a friend is in some sort of distress, it is important to try to help that friend out of their situation."

Sakura got an angry expression on her face before answering Sai.

"There's something weird going on with Tenten. During her checkup today she freaked out about having to get a blood test. And, when I did her ultrasound, I noticed that her baby was 8 weeks along, which would mean the baby was conceived before the war. I know for a fact that the baby is 8 weeks because the face is almost fully developed. I'm not sure what she's hiding or why but it's really frustrating. I'm a medic and I have to make sure she's safe and healthy. I can't do that if she's lying to me."

"I have been told that people usually lie because they are trying to protect someone or something. What do you think Tenten is trying to protect?" Sai questioned Sakura.

"I haven't the slightest clue, but I want to get to the bottom of this. I'm really worried about her. She's really been a mess since Neji died, and the stress and depression aren't going to help her pregnancy along at all. You guys should have seen her. When I showed her the baby on the screen, all she could say was that she missed Neji. I can't imagine what she's going through. It was so obvious how much they loved each other. Now she's having a baby with someone else all because she made a mistake one night."

Naruto stopped dead in his tracks while Sakura and Sai continued on the path. The two quickly noticed that the jinchuriki was no longer following them so they turned around, giving Naruto questioning looks.

"Naruto, what's up?" Sakura asked.

Naruto looked into Sakura's eye with an unreadable expression on his face. Amongst the silence, Sakura pieced together what Naruto's expression meant.

"You know something, don't you Naruto! Spill it, now!"

Naruto gave Sakura a sad look as he stammered. "I… I can't… I'm really sorry Sakura."

Naruto turned around and took off running. Sakura yelled at him.

"Naruto, where are you going?!"

"I have to talk to Hinata!"

Sakura stood dumbfounded on the street. She continued to stare while Sai spoke to her.

"Are we still going out for ramen, because Naruto promised he would pay for me?"


	6. The Confrontation

Gasp! Two chapters in one day?! I hope you guys don't get used to this, college is starting up soon. Well, there's a tear-jerker coming up, so get your tissues ready.

R&R, please!

* * *

Hinata heard a knock on her door. She walked over to her door and opened it up, not expecting to see Naruto, the man she has had a crush on since she was a child, standing in the hallway.

"N-Naurto, what are you doing here? How did you get in? Visitors aren't allowed in the compound this late at night."

"I snuck in. Look, I really have to ask you some questions, are you busy."

"I am not. We should leave the compound before we talk though. I wouldn't want you to get in trouble."

Naruto nodded and grabbed Hinata around the waist, not wanting to waste time walking all the way to the entrance of the compound. He jumped up onto the roof of her room and carried her out of the Hyuga walls. The entire time, Hinata blushed, surprised yet comforted by the contact Naruto made with her. He carried her for quite awhile, eventually putting her down on some rough terrain. Once Hinata gained her balance again she looked around, trying to figure out where they were. She noticed that they were standing on the cliff along the edge of the village.

"Naruto, why are we so far out?"

"I don't want anyone overhearing us."

Hinata gave Naruto a look, starting to get worried by his actions. "What's wrong? What do you need to talk about?"

Naruto looked away from Hinata and gazed at the village landscape, taking a moment to form his question.

"What would happen if someone in the Hyuga clan had a child out of wedlock?"

Hinata looked at Naruto in confusion. What kind of question was that? Why was he interested in Hyuga clan laws?

"Um, it depends," Hinata answered quietly.

Naruto turned to face Hinata. "Please explain."

"Well, it depends on who the other person is."

Naruto collected all his thoughts before asking his next question.

"What if they had an illegitimate kid with some average Konoha civilian who wasn't apart of any clan."

"According to Hyuga law, it is unacceptable for any person in the clan to have a relationship with someone who is not worthy enough for the clan. The Huyga family participates in arranged marriages, but typically they will allow a member to wed who they choose, as long as that person was a part of a noble clan or say maybe a war hero," Hinata said, hinting to Naruto that he would be accepted by the Hyuga clan if he were to marry a member of the clan.

"But what if it happened, even though it was unacceptable?"

"I'm not sure. If a pregnancy happened out of wedlock, but the outside member was someone deemed worthy by the clan elders, they would simply wed the couple as soon as possible to avoid any suspicions. Situations like that have happened before in the clan, though rare. If it were someone who was deemed not worth by the clan… I have no clue. I guess it would depend on if the child has the Byakugan or not."

"What do you mean by that?" Naruto asked with his face scrunched in confusion.

"If the child didn't possess the Byakugan, I'm sure the outsider could simply raise the child by his or herself. Nobody would know that the child was an illegitimate child of the Huyga clan. But if the child was born with the Byakugan…"

Hinata stopped talking before ending her sentence. Naruto forcefully grabbed her shoulders.

"What Hinata? What would happen?"

"The child would certainly be executed, and the outsider would most likely be killed also. The Hyuga elders will do whatever they have to to protect the secrets of the Hyuga clan"

Naruto's eyes went wide. "Oh no."

"Naruto, what's wrong? Why are you asking these question?"

Naruto gave Hinata a long look before answering.

"Tell me something, do you really believe that Tenten is pregnant with Lee's kids?"

Hinata squinted at Naruto in confusion. Her eyes slowly got wide as she understood what Naruto meant. She gasped and placed a hand over her mouth.

"Wait, you don't think…"

Naruto grabbed onto Hinata's waist for the second time that night, planning to carry her somewhere quickly again.

"Come on. We're going to Tenten's house."

xxx

Tenten stormed into her house, slamming the door behind her. After her meeting with Sakura, she went to the training grounds to throw her weapons. She was frustrated with herself and the way she acted at the hospital, and practicing with her weapons was the best way for her to blow off steam. Though she ended up training for well over five hours, she still felt her blood boiling. She let her emotions and worries get the best of her. Now Sakura knows that she's hiding something and is suspicious of her. Deciding that she was too tired from training, she ran home, her anger still flaring.

"Tenten, is that you?"

Lee appeared from the back of Tenten's house. He quickly noticed her angry expression and decided to ask about it.

"Is everything alright Tenten? You do not have your usually youthful expression on your face. Did something happen to you?"

Tenten started to pace around her living room, throwing her arms around as she spoke.

"I'm such an idiot! I made such a fool of myself in front of Sakura and now she knows something is up. She wants me to get a blood test because I have type A blood and you have type B blood, but if they do a blood test, they might find out that you're not the father. But what was I suppose to tell her? 'Sakura, there's no way that the baby will have type B blood because the actual father had type O blood.' No! Then she told me that the baby was 8 weeks along, which completely contradicts the story I told yesterday at dinner. Ugh! I'm just so frustrated!"

Tenten gave a deep sigh before ungracefully falling face first onto her couch. Lee sat next to her on the arm of the couch and started to rub her back comfortingly before talking.

"Do you think she knows?"

Tenten turned her head so Lee could hear her. "No, but she knows something's up. I'm not sure how long I'll be able to keep this from her, I mean she is a medic."

"If Sakura does find out, I am sure that she will respect your wishes to keep the information a secret. Until that happens, you need to relax. Getting worked up doesn't help you or the baby."

"Yeah, I know," Tenten mumbled.

The two sat in their positions for a long time, both of them losing track of time and having no motivation to move from their spots. A knock on the door startled both of them. Tenten got up from her place on the couch and opened the door. She came face to face with Naruto and Hinata. She smiled and greeted them.

"Hey, guys, nice to see you. What are you doing here?"

"May we come in?" Naruto asked bluntly.

"Um yeah, sure," Tenten said as she moved out of the way, allowing her friends could come in.

"So to what do I owe this sudden visit?"

Naruto glanced at Lee. "We'd like to talk to you. Privately if we can."

Tenten glared at Naruto. "Whatever you have to say, Lee can hear it too."

"Yes, if something concerns you about Tenten I would like to stay and listen so I could possibly help," Lee stated.

Naruto made a few quick glances between Tenten and Lee. He was debating between pressing more and giving up trying to get Lee to leave the room. He looked at Tenten and asked her a question.

"Does he know?"

Tenten's anger grew. "Know what Naruto?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Tenten!" Naruto shouted at her. Hinata put a hand on his shoulder, attempting to get him to calm down.

"I'm not sure what you're getting at Naruto, but if you just came here to yell at me, the door's right over there," Tenten said pointing to the door.

Hinata gave a sad look to Tenten before she decided to take control of the conversation.

"Tenten, we think that Lee isn't the father of this baby."

Tenten's face immediately fell. How could they possibly know that? Sure, the checkup with Sakura raised some suspicion, but there was no way that anyone could have guessed the truth. Tenten began to stammer, unable to form words. At the moment, Lee stepped to Tenten's side and held her hand.

"Naruto, I do not understand why you are insinuating that I am not the father of the child that Tenten is carrying. If you are going to continue to make assumptions and hurt Tenten's feelings, I am going to have to ask you to leave."

Naruto's eyes glared hard at Lee. Lee glared right back at Naruto, neither of them saying a word. Naruto then glanced his eyes back to Tenten.

"Wanna know what Neji said as he died in my arms? He said that I hold more than one life in my hands. He told me that because Hinata was willing to die for me, I held her life in my hands. Y'know what else he told me? He said that since he died protecting me, that I also held your life in my hands."

Hinata gasped at Naruto's words as Tenten stayed silent, tears forming in her eyes. Many people knew about Neji's last words due to the fact that his cousin and uncle surrounded him when he passed, but no one other than Naruto knew about the extra words that Neji whispered into his ear. He kept this knowledge to himself, knowing that if the Hyuga found out about Neji and Tenten's secret relationship, Tenten would have to face consequences. Naruto kept his composure as he continued.

"There's something else he told me. He wanted me to tell you that he was sorry for not being able to keep his promise to you."

The tears started to fall from Tenten's eyes as she remembered Neji's words to her.

" _But let me promise you something. I'm going to live past this war. There's something I have to do once the war is over."_

Naruto's gaze never left Tenten's face. "He loved you, Tenten, and you loved him just as much in return, that was clear to everyone. So excuse me if I find it hard to believe that you and Lee hooked up, not even a week after he died."

Tenten's quiet tears turned into loud sobs after that. She was wiping tears off of her face frantically, struggling to keep a steady breath. Lee let go of her hand and enveloped her in a tight hug. She clung to Lee, her hands fisted into his shirt, her sobs only getting louder. Naruto remained expressionless, watching Tenten cry onto Lee's chest while Hinata, standing next to Naruto, fought back tears that were brimming in her eyes as well.

"Naruto, what are you trying to accomplish here?" Lee asked harshly.

Naruto ignored Lee and addressed Tenten.

"Tenten."

Tenten looked at Naruto again, still unable to control her crying.

"I want you to look me in the eyes and tell me who the father of your child is."

Tenten's knees collapsed as she fell to the ground. Lee quickly crouched down next to her and held on to her as she wept. Hinata approached Tenten and she also comforted Tenten as she cried. No one was aware of how much time had passed in Tenten's living room. Everyone stayed where they were as Tenten's crying subsided.

"Neji," Tenten mumbled quietly.

Lee's hold around Tenten loosened as he looked at her. She wiped her face with her hand and she stood up to look at Naruto.

"Neji is the father of this child. The night before we left for the Hidden Cloud, Neji told me that he loved me. We spent the night together and that's when it happened. I wouldn't have done it if I knew he was going to die. I thought we were going home together. I never expected any of this to happen. I don't know what to do."

Tenten would have cried at that moment but it seemed that her body could no longer produce tears. What happened next shocked everyone in the room. Naruto stood in front of Tenten and gently wrapped his arms around her.

"I told you yesterday, you're not alone Tenten. There are so many people who are here to help you. Neji was right. Your life is in my hands and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure nothing happens to you and your child."

Tenten slowly brought her arms around Naruto's midsection, returning his hug.

"Thank you so much, Naruto."

* * *

So I know I said that I was gonna keep this story as canon as I possibly can, but I need to add some stuff to Neji's final dialogue with Naruto. #sorrynotsorry Stay tuned for more coming soon!


	7. The Cousin

This chapter is a bit shorter than previous ones, sorry. I'm at the point in the story where I have a bunch of ideas and I'm not completely sure how to string them all into one timeline. On the bright side, this chapter is going to be a lot more lighthearted than the previous one. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

(One month later)

"Ugh, my clothes are starting to get tight. I just hope that my coat will fit through the winter. I'd hate to have to buy a bigger one to wear for two measly months," Tenten said, struggling to zip up her coat. The late December air caused a chill to run through Konoha. There has yet to be snowfall in the Hidden Leaf, but everyone knew that it was coming soon, for winter was just beginning. Tenten always thought that the first snowfall was a beautiful sight, but she quickly wished it would melt the next day. It was too cold and messy for her.

Hinata giggled next to Tenten. "If you need any help affording new clothes, I'd be glad to pitch in."

"Hinata, you know you don't have to do that. I might be a little tight on money, but I'll figure something out," Tenten said smiling at Hinata.

The two women were on their way to Konoha's hospital for Tenten's next checkup. Ever since Tenten confessed to Naruto and Hinata about her secret relationship with Neji, Hinata has been stopping by Tenten's place every day to check up on her. When Hinata stopped by this morning, Tenten greeted her, ready to leave. When Hinata found out about her appointment, she insisted on coming along.

Hinata smiled back at Tenten. "I just want to make sure that you have everything you need so my niece or nephew will become strong and healthy."

"Thank you so much, Hinata," Tenten said as she wrapped one arm around Hinata's shoulder, giving her a quick hug. Next thing they knew, they were standing in front of the hospital.

"Are you ready, Tenten?" Hinata questioned?

"As ready as I'll ever be."

They walked in and approached Sakura at the front desk. She looked up from her work and smiled at the women.

"Hey, Tenten and Hinata. You know which room I use. Head down there and I'll meet you in a few minutes."

Tenten and Hinata made their way into the hospital room, Hinata closing the door behind her while Tenten sat on the bed. Shortly after, Sakura entered the room and smiled at the two occupants.

"Hey, guys. I see you came along too, Hinata."

"I just thought that Tenten deserved some company during her visit so I invited myself along."

Tenten smiled. "She really did invite herself along. I told her probably a thousand times that she didn't have to come, but you know how persistent Hinata can be."

"Ain't that the truth? If something's up, Hinata is always there to help, no questions asked." Sakura started to laugh and Tenten joined her. After a few seconds of laughing, they both quieted down, an awkwardness quickly entering the room.

"Tenten." "Sakura."

They spoke at the same time and looked away in embarrassment. Sakura turned her sight back to Tenten.

"You go first."

"I'm really sorry for the way I acted last time we saw each other. I've just been so emotional all the time, probably due to this baby. I think you're a great medic and an even better friend."

Sakura gave a small smile to Tenten. "I was going to apologize for being too nosy. Your business is your business and I need to stay out of it. Just remember that I worry about you when you act weird."

"I know you do. Thank you so much for all your help." Tenten reached her arms out as Sakura bent over to give Tenten a hug. Hinata sat behind the two of them, a large smile on her face. Sakura was the first to pull back, speaking to Tenten.

"Okay, let's get this checkup started. First I'm gonna take vitals, do a physical exam, then we can end with the ultrasound. Now, do you have concerns at all?"

Tenten chuckled. "Other than how I'm going to afford new clothes, nope. I think everything is going smoothly."

"That's good. And if you need any help, I'll be happy to chip in some cash so you can afford new clothes."

"Why is everyone trying to pay for my stuff? I'll figure something out, I promise," Tenten said after groaning.

Sakura gave Tenten a stern face. "Okay, but don't take on too many burdens by yourself, ya hear?"

"I won't," Tenten said smiling to Sakura.

With that, Sakura started with Tenten's exam. During this, the three women in the room chatted idly, trying to pass the time. Once Sakura was finished writing what she needed to on the clipboard, she looked up at Tenten with a happy expression on her face.

"Alright, ready for the ultrasound?"

"Yup!" Tenten said as she laid back and lifted up her shirt. Sakura noticed that her stomach was no longer fit and tight but instead had the slightest mound growing. Sakura got the machine hooked up and started to probe at Tenten's midsection. After a few seconds of searching, Sakura exclaimed.

"There it is! Looks healthy as ever."

Tenten didn't say anything. All she could do was look at the screen in awe. That was her baby, alive and well. Tenten saw Hinata shift in her peripheral vision. For the entire hospital visit, Hinata had been sitting in the chair that was near the door, waiting respectfully and not wanting to get in Sakura's way. Tenten knew that Hinata desperately wanted to see what was on the screen.

"Hinata, come over here."

Hinata quietly got up from her seat and stood next to the bed that Tenten was laying on, right next to Sakura. Sakura pointed to the screen and looked at Hinata.

"That right there is the baby. The end of the first trimester is a really cool time because the thing growing in your stomach is starting to like a real baby and not some creepy alien anymore." Everyone in the room laughed lightly before Sakura continued. "It's still too early to determine the sex of the baby. Probably two more visits and we'll know for sure. But other than that, everything looks perfect."

Sakura removed the remote from Tenten's skin and started packing up the room. Tenten sat up, pulled her shirt down and smiled up at Hinata. Hinata's face was glowing. Her happiness radiated around the room and Tenten enjoyed the warmth that Hinata emitted with her emotions.

"What do you think?" Tenten asked.

"The baby is absolutely beautiful. Thank you for allowing me to come, Tenten."

"Of course Hinata, anytime."

The two shared a hug as Sakura approached the bed again.

"Just a warning, a lot of weird things are gonna happen as you start your second trimester. You're going to grow a lot bigger and not just your stomach. There will be lots of swelling, especially your breasts. You're also going to get some cravings and body aches. Don't let any of this scare you, it's all natural. If the pain or swelling gets to be too much, just stop by here and we'll get you something for it. Other than that, keep up everything that you've been doing."

"You have Lee to thank for that. He has been doing so much research and working so hard to make sure I stay healthy. I'm not doing anything other than eating the food that he's making for me," Tenten said to Sakura.

"Sounds like Lee. Well, you tell him to keep up HIS good work then. I'll see you in a month."

Tenten and Hinata said their farewell to Sakura as she left the room. Once the door shut behind her, Hinata spoke out loud.

"I can't believe that I got to see my niece or nephew. This is so exciting Tenten. I know that if Neji were here, he would be through the moon."

Tenten had a sad look pass her face, but only for a moment before she smiled at Hinata.

"There's not a day that goes by that I don't wish he was here, but I'm so lucky to have you with me during all of this. You knew Neji better than anyone else so sometimes it feels like he is still around, living through your actions."

Tears brimmed Hinata's eyes. "That means so much to me, Tenten. Thank you so much."

"You're very welcome. Now, let's get some lunch. I am STARVING!" Tenten said as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and placed her feet on the ground. Hinata giggled at her side.

"I'm sure you are. You're eating for two now."

As Hinata and Tenten left the hospital, Tenten sparked up a conversation.

"Y'know, most women are so afraid and ashamed of getting bigger while they're pregnant, but I can't wait. I think pregnancy is such a beautiful thing, and I can't wait to experience it."

Hinata nodded her head in agreement. "You've never been one to stress over superficial things like body image. Ino, on the other hand, if she got pregnant, Sai is going to have a tough time trying to keep her calm."

Tenten gave Hinata a confused look. "Sai?"

Hinata gasped and covered her mouth, shocked eyes looking at Tenten. Tenten caught on to what Hinata's reaction meant.

"Oh my gosh, are Sai and Ino together?!"

"No, no, no, they just like each other," Hinata exclaimed, waving her hands in front of herself.

Tenten smirked. "I knew that and everyone knows that. Let me guess, Sai likes Ino and Ino likes Sai and everyone in the whole village knows that except for them, am I right?"

Hinata sighed. "Sai came to talk to me a few days ago, saying he needed a girl's advice. I asked him why he didn't ask for Sakura's advice and he said that if he told her, she would definitely tell Ino. It was sorta cute. He was describing to me the way he felt when he was around Ino and he had no clue that the things he was feeling were love and affection."

Tenten got a wide smile on her face. "So, what did you guys do after you told him that?"

"Nothing, he said thank you and left. I haven't heard anything about it since then."

"He's probably going to wait for an eternity before making a move on her," Tenten groaned.

"These things have to happen on their own, Tenten. It'll happen eventually if it's meant to be."

Tenten looked down at the ground. "Maybe if Neji never told me that he loved me, I wouldn't be in this situation."

Hinata placed a hand on her shoulder. "Everything happens for a reason. If he didn't tell you that he loved you before the war, you would live your whole life never knowing if he returned the feelings you felt."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Tenten said as one tear fell down her face. She quickly wiped it away and smiled.

"Besides, knowing how headstrong Ino is, she's gonna make the first move on him."

"I agree," Hinata said while giggling.


	8. The Mission

Sorry to all the people currently following the story, but I did change the title and the description. I'm sorry if that was confusing at all, as I continued with the story, I just wasn't feeling the last title anymore. I feel that Stronger Than Yesterday really hits home and can truly convey messages in the story better. I mean, it is Team Gai's motto, so it must mean something. Well, hope you enjoy. R&R

* * *

When Hinata and Tenten were finished with their lunch, Hinata walked with Tenten back to Tenten's house. Tenten opened the door and walked into her house to be quickly greeted by Lee.

"Welcome back Tenten and Hinata. How was your visit to the hospital?"

Tenten gave Lee a thumbs up. "Everything went perfect, all thanks to you Lee."

"It is my pleasure. I plan to work just as hard as you are carrying the baby."

Hinata giggled from behind Tenten. "You're really lucky that Lee is here to help out. Do you need anything else before I leave?"

"I think I'll be fine. Thank you so much for joining me Hinata." Tenten gave Hinata a friendly hug before Hinata left Tenten's house, closing the door behind her. Tenten walked over to her couch and sat down. She looked over at Lee and spoke.

"So, what crazy adventure are we going to have for the rest of the day?"

Lee pondered for a moment before answering. "How about we watch a movie here tonight?"

"I think that's a great idea," Tenten said as she grabbed the blanket lying on the back of the couch, making herself comfortable. Lee walked over to her television and got the movie started before he sat next to Tenten on the couch. Right as the movie was beginning to play, there was a knock on the door.

"Were you expecting anyone?" Lee asked.

Tenten shook her head. "No, I have no clue who that could be." She got up from her seat on the couch and opened the door to see Sakura standing on the other side of the door.

"Hey Sakura, is something wrong? I thought you had to work at the hospital all day today?"

"Actually, Lady Tsunade summoned me to her office. She wanted me to grab you two on my way."

Tenten looked over at Lee. He nodded and got up from the couch and walked over to where Tenten and Sakura were standing.

"We must not keep the Hokage waiting then. Shall we see who can make it to the Hokage's tower first?" Lee asks Tenten and Sakura.

A sweat drop appeared on Sakura's face. "I think we're good, but you go ahead."

"Gladly. I will see you two there soon," Lee said before taking off.

Tenten and Sakura laughed as Tenten locked the door to her house. The two girls took off down the street, towards the Hokage's tower.

xxx

"Hnh, took you guys long enough."

Shikamaru was casually leaning against the wall next to the Hokage's door while Lee was in the middle of the hallway doing pushups on his left pointer finger.

"Shikamaru, what are you doing here?" Tenten asked.

"I was summoned here just like you guys were. Lady Hokage wanted to talk to all four of us. My best guess is that she's sending us on a mission."

Sakura motioned towards the door. "Well, since we're all here, let's go in."

Shikamaru nodded and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Shikamaru opened the door and the four walked into the small office and stood in a line in front of the Hokage's desk. Tsunade looked up from the papers she was working on and acknowledged her guests.

"Oh good, you're all here. I have a mission for you all. It's a B rank mission to retrieve someone who was kidnapped. The person kidnapped was a young boy named Gin. He is from a village in Fire Country called the Silver Village. He was next in line to become the leader of the village. This village is on the border of the Hidden Rain Village so it is believed that someone from the Rain has kidnapped him, most likely to gain access to his family's wealth."

Tsunade stretched her arm out and placed a folder on the edge of her desk, which Shikamaru picked up.

"There are all the details of the mission. Now listen closely, all of you. This mission is an important one. You four proved yourself to be strong and capable shinobi during the war and I will begin the process of promoting you all to jonin. During this mission, you will be followed by two Anbu members."

Two ninjas in animal masks suddenly appeared behind Tsunade.

"These two are under strict orders to observe and nothing else. If you find yourself battling against a tough opponent, they will not help you, even if any of you are in a fatal situation. I choose this team as the first one to send out based on how you all performed during the chunin exams. Shikamaru, you were the only one from the Leaf to be promoted to chunin during your first exam. Lee, Tenten, and Sakura, other than Neji of course, you three had the highest scores during your promotion year. How well you do during the mission will determine if you will be promoted to jonin. I won't be assigning a team leader. I want you all to work together on equal grounds. You all have one hour to get ready. You will meet at the gate after that time and take off. Any questions?"

"Lady Tsunade, if I may," Lee spoke up.

"Yes, Lee?"

Lee glanced over at Tenten before continuing. "I do not believe that Tenten should be sent on this mission."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

Tenten glared at Lee. Sakura looked over at the two teammates before answering the Hokage's question.

"Tenten is pregnant, ma'am."

"Oh really, I was not aware," Tsunade said, her eyes widening slightly. She looked at a paper that sat in front of her. "Well, let me see who had the next highest score so I can summon them here immediately."

Tenten started to panic. "Wait, no!"

"Excuse me?" Tsunade asked, looking up at Tenten.

"Sorry for my outburst, but please don't take me out of this mission. I'm only 12 weeks along. I can ensure that my pregnancy will not hinder this mission in any way."

Tsunade looked at Tenten for a few moments, squinting at her before she turned her attention to Sakura.

"What's your opinion of all this, Sakura?"

"Um, well, Lee is right to be concerned," Sakura said as Tenten glared at her. "But I've been personally watching over Tenten during her pregnancy and I have to admit that she is a picture of perfect health. Going on a mission won't be as detrimental as most would think about her health or the health of the baby."

Tsunade rubbed her chin for a while before reaching a decision.

"Okay, I trust Sakura's judgment as a medic and as my student. Tenten, you may proceed with this mission, but please don't forget that your jonin promotion is on the line during this mission."

Tenten bowed. "Yes m'lady, thank you for this chance."

"Now that that's settled, you four are dismissed. Good luck on your mission."

The four shinobi bowed at the same time before they left the room in a single file fashion. Once they were all outside of the Hokage's tower, Tenten turned towards Lee and started to shout at him.

"What was that for Lee?! You almost ruined any chance I had at becoming a jonin."

"Tenten, I apologize but I did not think it was safe for you to go on this mission."

"Well, I don't need you to decide if I'm safe or not. Just keep out of my business."

"I actually have to agree with Lee," Shikamaru said.

Tenten glared at Shikamaru. "What's that suppose to mean? Do you think I'm weak or something? Ugh, I swear if that girlfriend of yours said anything about me…"

"I never said you were weak, Tenten and Temari isn't my girlfriend. You're jumping to conclusions. You are a strong kunoichi and I do believe that you could hold your own during this mission under normal circumstances, but you being pregnant causes some risks. What if someone directed an attack to your midsection? Normally, you would have enough stamina and pain tolerance to take the attack, but now, if that were to happen, you are sure to lose your child."

Tenten huffed and mumbled to herself. "Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing."

Sakura looked shocked at Tenten. "How could you say that Tenten?"

Tenten looked at the other three, realizing that what she just said was louder than she hoped it was. Shikamaru, Sakura, and Lee were looking at Tenten, saying nothing, but the worry on their face said everything. Tenten looked away as she spoke.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. Look, Lady Tsunade said I could go on this mission so I'm going. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going home to pack."

Tenten turned her back towards her friends and started to walk towards her house. The three of them watched her walk away in amazement. Sakura placed a hand on Lee's shoulder, startling him slightly.

"I'm sure she's just under some stress. Don't worry. The three of us will keep her safe. Besides, she can really kick some butt. I know that this mission will be a piece of cake for her."

Lee smiled. "Thank you, Sakura. Now, if you will excuse me, I should also begin packing for this mission."

"Alright, see you again in a few," Sakura said as the three of them went their separate ways.

xxx

Tenten scrambled around her house, searching for items to pack into her bag. The entire time she was packing, she was mumbling to herself.

"Stupid Lee thinks he can do whatever he wants. Why can't he just mind his own business? I can take care of myself. I don't need him protecting me all the time. He just needs to back off. I thought he was starting to mature but noooo, he's the exact same lunatic he always was. I can't stand him sometimes."

As she was rambling to herself, there was a knock on her door. She went to answer it, seeing Lee standing at her door. She squinted her eyes, glaring at him.

"What are you doing here? Don't you have things at your own house to pack?"

"I have already packed what I needed at my house. I just came to pick up my headband. I believe that I have left it here."

Tenten left the living room and went into her bedroom. She came back holding Lee's red forehead protector that he chooses to wear as a belt. She threw it on the floor right in front of Lee before she left to finish her packing. Lee picked up his headband, tied it around his waist and followed Tenten into her bedroom.

"Tenten, I do not appreciate the way you are acting towards me. I am sorry for upsetting you, but your actions are very concerning."

"I'll stop acting like this once you keep to yourself! If you haven't noticed Lee, I live by myself and I have no parents. Going on missions is the only way I can make money. There's no way that Lady Tsunade is going to let me go on any more missions after this, so how do you suppose I'm going to make money?" Tenten said, staring hard at Lee, interested if he was going to continue to pester her after that statement.

Lee bowed his head in defeat as he spoke to her. "Please accept my deepest apology. I was not considering your financial state when I questioned Lady Hokage, I was only looking out for your physical well being. I will gladly share my mission earnings with you in the future. Please let me mention again how sorry I am."

Tenten sighed and rubbed the back of her head. "It's okay Lee, I might have overreacted a bit. Things have been so different since I found out about this baby. I feel like I lost all control of my life and it's frustrating me and causing me to act out. And you know that I won't accept any Ryo from you."

Lee shook his head. "I promised to support you as the father of your child and that is what I plan to do. Besides, it is my fault that you will not be able to go on any more missions. Please let me do this for you."

"Okay, thanks, Lee," Tenten said giving a soft smile. She placed her hand on Lee's cheek comfortingly. Before Lee had any time to react to her touch, she turned away from him and continued to pack. She placed the last item she needed in her bag and she turned to Lee with a grin.

"All ready! Shall we head out?"

"Yes we shall, but before we do, I have a question."

Tenten looked at Lee with a questioning look.

"Earlier you mentioned that it wouldn't be a bad thing if you lost the baby and I must ask why you said that."

Tenten said nothing and looked down at the floor.

Lee took a large breath before continuing. "I know that it must be stressful to have to carry a baby without the father around, but this child is not a burden, it is a creation of the love you and Neji had for each other. Please remember that Neji lives on in you and in me and with the entire village. He was the genius of the Hyuga Clan who was willing to share his wisdom with anyone who needed it. I believe that he is watching over you at this very moment and is doing all he can to keep you and his child safe."

Once Lee was finished talking, he walked over to Tenten and gave her a tight hug. Tenten did not hug him back and instead stared past him.

"Do you really believe in all the 'looking over us in heaven' mumbo jumbo?" she asked quietly.

"I am not sure," Lee answered honestly. "But I do believe that people never truly die, they only leave this world to live on in another. Neji is still out there and I know that he still loves you."

After hearing Lee's thoughts, Tenten wrapped her arms around him and returned his hug before pulling back to speak.

"If you truly believe that, I'm going to believe it too."

Lee's smile beamed brightly. "That makes me very happy. Now, we must leave before we are too late for our meeting with Shikamaru and Sakura.


	9. The Merchant

Soooooo sorry that it took so long for me to upload this. This was kind of a hard chapter because it's really branching away from the canon Naruto storyline. AAAAAAAANNNNNDDDD I realize that in previous chapters, I had Kakashi as the Hokage, but following timelines, Tsunade is still the Hokage. Oops. Well, I fixed it, hope it doesn't confuse anyone. Well, have fun reading.

* * *

Tenten and Lee approached Sakura and Shikamaru, who were both standing at the front gates of Konoha. Sakura smiled while Shikamaru had on his usual un-amused face. When he saw the last two members of his current team show up, he stood straight and addressed everyone.

"If we're all ready, we're gonna take off. I'll lead the way. Sakura, I want you in the center of the formation during our journey. We don't want you, our only medic, to get injured during this mission. First, we're going to make our way to Silver Village. Once we get there, we're going to gather as much information as we can from the village people. After we've done that, we're going to gather back together and try to think of a strategy together. Does that sound fine with all of you?"

The other three members nodded at Shikamaru. Shikamaru nodded back before adding one more thing.

"Also, Tenten, I'd like you in the center of our formation too. Lee will take the rear."

Tenten glared at Shikamaru, but before she had time to interject, Lee placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke.

"Great idea Shikamaru. We shall be off then."

"Alright."

Shikamaru turned his direction to the land outside the village gate and took off into the trees. Sakura and Tenten followed, with Lee following them shortly after.

xxx

The four Leaf ninja arrived at Silver Village a few hours after they first left the Leaf gates. To say that Silver Village was bustling would be an understatement. Right at the border of the village was a large street market with many individual tents with merchants selling their respective items. These sights did not surprise any of the chunin, though. With a village founded and named after its wealth, it's only natural for the village to be a site of massive commerce.

"Alright, we're going to split up. Sakura and I will try to locate the king's residence while Lee and Tenten, you two are going to try to get information from the villagers. We'll meet back here in one hour."

Without any pause, Shikamaru and Sakura took off into the village while Tenten and Lee started to wander the village streets. Tenten looked at all the street vendors and admired all the items for sale. It was moments like these she really wished she were apart of a big clan in Konoha that could spare some of their finances with her. One particular tent stood out to her. The vendor was a sweet looking elderly woman. She was selling baby clothes that appeared to be hand stitched. Tenten made her way over to the booth to get a better look, Lee following her. The older woman smiled at Tenten.

"Hello there, young lady. Am I correct in assuming you are expecting?"

Tenten placed her hand on her stomach. "Sure am. I'm not even three months along, so this is only the beginning."

The woman chuckled lightly. "Well please, allow me to give you this as a gift."

She turned around and rummaged around until she found what she was looking for. She turned back to Tenten and handed her a jar.

"This is a paste I created. It helps boost the production of feminine hormones. All of the women with a child who has tried my paste have all had wonderful results. They felt little to no fatigue during their pregnancy and they also found their sex drive and fertility boosted postpartum. I'm sure your friend here would appreciate that extremely."

Tenten and Lee both blushed hard, not looking at each other. Tenten was the first one to break the awkward silence.

"I'm sorry, but we are nothing more than friends, he's not the father. And I appreciate your offer, but I cannot accept it. I prefer to go through this pregnancy the old fashion way, fatigue and all. Thank you so much though."

The woman gave a sad smile. "It's a shame to hear that. Well, does any of the clothing you see here interest your fancy?"

Tenten grinned. "Everything here looks so beautiful, but sadly I cannot afford to buy clothes at this point."

"Please, pick something out to take for free, I beg you."

Tenten shook her head. "I could never do that."

"You are such a nice lady, much more polite than most of the greedy women that live in this village. Please, how can I give you my thanks?" the woman asked.

"Actually, we were looking for some information on the family that rules over this village."

The woman snorted before answering Tenten. "The royal family is the epitome of greediness. This village may seem like a thriving and lovely place to live, but believe me when I say that the hierarchy here is terrible. I'd like to see the day when someone from the royal family has to stay on the streets and sell whatever they can just to put food on the table. It's sick how they treat the people of this village and other surrounding villages."

"Well it seems everyone has good business around here," said Tenten.

"Yes, my business does see many customers on a daily basis, but at the end of the day, I struggle to feed my family after the royal family robs me of most of my earnings. There is a high tax for anyone who doesn't sell products of the royal family, products made by slaves. I refuse to sell anything that was tainted by the hands of the King. These days, it's almost impossible to stand by what you believe and survive at the same time."

Tenten's eyes softened. "That sounds terrible. I can't believe that this village thrives through the use of slavery and taxation."

"I do believe that change is in our future, though," the woman said, smiling. "Word is that the young prince of this land was kidnapped. Maybe the royal family will negotiate a reform in order to save the prince."

Tenten and Lee exchanged glances at each other. This woman was a suspicious one, that's for sure.

"Thank you much for the information. I wish you the best for you future," Lee said as he waved, leading Tenten away from her tent.

"I hope we're thinking the same thing," Tenten said.

"I think that that woman might have something to do with the kidnapping we are investigating."

"Good, so we're on the same page. Let's keep asking around to see if we can get any more information."

xxx

Tenten and Lee were waiting at the entrance to the small village as Shikamaru and Sakura joined them.

"So, what did you guys find out?" Tenten asked.

"We spoke with the king of this land. He was absolutely sure that someone from the Rain had captured his son. He said he caught a glimpse of the kidnapper and they had a Rain headband on. Apparently, this village and the Hidden Rain have been enemies for many years, but once the Akatsuki was disbanded, Silver Village and the Hidden Rain have since signed a treaty to be peaceful with one another. The king believes that the Rain has breached the treaty and is prepared to attack the village. I convinced him to give us a week to try to get to the bottom of this before that happens. The military here is impressive. This isn't a hidden village with people trained to fight, but with all the money this village has, it's no surprise that they have impressive weapons."

Tenten's face was scrunched in thought as she revealed her own information.

"Well, we talked to some of the street vendors and a few consumers and pretty much everyone here is very peaceful and happy with the village. They all feel protected and safe, despite the kidnapping of the young prince. Everyone here is very loyal to the village, but there was this one woman…"

"What about her?" Sakura asked Tenten.

"She was different from all the others. She told us that Silver Village has a hidden hierarchy. Most of the vendors are selling products made by slaves owned by the royal family. Anyone who chooses to sell his or her own items is forced to pay a large tax. I believe that this woman was speaking honestly, but it's so weird that she was the only one who had a negative view of the village. She also thought that since the prince was kidnapped, reform is bound to come to Silver Village."

Shikamaru placed his hand on his chin, piecing all the information together, trying to come up with a plan for his team.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do next. I want-"

"Before we do anything else," Sakura said, interrupting Shikamaru. "Let's find an inn and call it a night. I don't know what time it is, but I'm sure it's well into the evening."

Everyone looked up to the sky and noticed that Sakura was correct. The sunset in the distance was probably going to last no more than an hour. Tenten looked at Sakura and nodded.

"I agree. Sakura and I have been up since my appointment this morning. I could really use some sleep."

"Okay, we can find an inn for the night. Tomorrow morning I think we should head to the Hidden Rain to investigate a little more," Shikamaru said.

Before Shikamaru had a chance to finish, Sakura and Tenten already took off to find an inn, eager to get some sleep. Lee gave Shikamaru an awkward smile before he followed the kunoichi.

"What a drag."

xxx

Tenten woke up the next morning to the sun shining on her face. She turned to her side to see that the bed's other occupant was missing. Knowing Lee, he was probably doing push-ups or laps or some other crazy feat. Tenten sat up in bed and stretched her arms out. Next, she got out of bed and changed out of the clothes she slept in into her mission attire. She walked across the hall and gave a light knock on Shikamaru and Sakura's room door. Shikamaru answered the door, him also sporting his mission attire. Tenten looked into the room to see Sakura still asleep on the bed with a sleeping bag and a pillow on the floor.

"You slept on the floor last night? You shouldn't have to do that, we can switch rooms and I can sleep with Sakura and you can sleep with Lee."

Shikamaru waved her off. "Don't worry about it. You and Lee are a thing so you guys should stay in the same room together."

"If you say so," Tenten said as she walked into their room. "So, what's the plan for this morning?"

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck. "Well I wanted to get on the road to Ame, but Sakura is still asleep and I know waking her up is going to be a drag."

Tenten laughed at Shikamaru's awkwardness. "Don't worry, I'll wake her up. Lee's out somewhere, probably doing training. You go find him while I do my job here."

"Thanks, Tenten."

After Shikamaru shut the door to leave, Tenten turned her attention to her sleeping friend. Tenten cleared her throat and took a breath.

"Is that Sasuke over there?!" Tenten shouted. Instantly, Sakura was awake and alert.

"What?! Where? Where's Sasuke?"

After she noticed that Sasuke was nowhere to be found, Sakura looked over to Tenten and glared at her.

"You're cruel." Tenten's only response was a sly smirk.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cry me a river. Come on, we're on a mission. Get ready so we can go."

As Sakura got out of bed and started to get herself ready to leave, Tenten left to go stand outside the inn. She met up with Shikamaru and Lee who were also waiting outside the entrance to the inn.

"Sakura's getting ready right now. I'm sure she'll be out in a few minutes."

"Hello, my beautiful and youthful Tenten. I hope that you have had plenty of rest and are now energized with the power of youth for this mission," Lee proclaimed loudly.

Tenten responded with a smile as Shikamaru mumbled "what a drag." Sakura came down to meet the others soon after.

"Alright, I'm all ready."

Shikamaru nodded at everyone. "Alright, we're going to head over to Ame and talk to the leader there. Maybe we can get some more clues on where the kidnapper is hiding Gin."

"Right!" the other three exclaimed as they made their way toward the Hidden Rain Village.

xxx

Tenten, Lee, Shikamaru, and Sakura approached the building where the leader of the Hidden Rain resides. Sakura approached a guard that was standing at the entrance of the building.

"Excuse me, we wish to speak with Ame's leader. We are ninjas from Konoha and we were hired to investigate a kidnapping in Silver Village."

"Of course ma'am, right this way."

The four shinobi were then lead into the building. They followed the guard before they stopped in front of a large door. The guard knocked on the door and waited for a reply.

"Come in and state your business."

The guard opened the door and led the Leaf shinobi into the room. The four of them stood in a row and bowed together to the Rain leader before the guard spoke.

"Lord Nirukage, these four are ninjas from Konoha. They were hired to investigate the missing prince from Silver and they wish to speak to you."

"Nirukage?" Sakura whispered.

"I think the Rain is trying to get established as a great nation," Shikamaru whispered back.

The leader was sitting in a large chair at the front of the room, surrounded by two more guards. The man glared at the ninja in front of him before speaking.

"And let me guess, you four suspect that the Rain kidnapped the young prince? I am aware that Amegakure has had a rough relationship with other hidden villages in the past, but I am beyond appalled that the Leaf also suspects us of kidnapping."

Sakura calmly shook her hand. "Sir, we do not suspect anyone at this moment. We only wish to gather information. Could you please tell us about your relationship with Silver Village?"

The man continued to glare at his guests before his expression softened.

"I admit, back when the Rain was the home to the Akatsuki, we often attempted to attack Silver Village. Every time we did, we managed to steal some wealth from the village, but not without suffering a huge loss of men at the hands of Silver's military. But the Akatsuki is disbanded and we have signed a treaty with Silver Village. We plan to make our own wealth, not steal the wealth of others."

"If I may," Shikamaru asked. "Do you have any idea why the leader of Silver Village suspects that Ame is behind this kidnapping?"

"I haven't the slightest clue why they suspect the Hidden Rain. If I were to give my personal suggestion, I believe that Rain refugees are behind this."

"Your village has refugees?" Tenten asked.

"A few, yes. As you all probably already know, the Hidden Rain is undergoing a large reform. As a village, we are giving up our old ways and beginning anew in peace. Some members of the village did not agree with our new peaceful approach. There were people that believed Ame should have never signed the treaty with Silver Village, saying that silver owed us money for all of our men that they killed. In order for Ame to be considered as a great village, we cannot be demanding money from neighboring villages, though Silver was kind enough to offer us a large amount of money."

Lee raised his hand. "So it seems that Silver Village is a very kind and worthy village."

The Nirukage nodded. "Yes, our neighbors have always been kind folk. Other then their military attacking us, the village has never been malicious towards ours. And when they did attack, it was in defense against the terrible acts that Ame was committing. I really am saddened to hear that Silver Village is falsely accusing us, I personally hold the King's word dear to my heart. I would very much appreciate your help with finding the true kidnapper."

Shikamaru held his chin with his hand as his face showed that he was deep in thought. The Nirukage gave Shikamaru a hopeful look.

"Do you have an idea of who the culprit is?"

"I do," Shikamaru said nodding. "I think we need to make another trip to Silver Village's main shopping district."Hidden Rain

* * *

For reference, Niru is Japanese for a boil. There are a few different translations I found, but this word has the least amount of syllables so I went with it. Boil release is a combination of fire and water, so I thought it was fitting for the Hidden Rain village. If you could pleeeeeeeeeaaaaaase review, that would make me so happy. This story gets a lot of traffic, but no recognition. I'd like to know that people actually read this and like this, so please let me know. I'd even appreciate constructive criticism, but please don't be mean and rude. That makes me sad. Thanks, everyone!


	10. The Battle

I'm really sorry for the late posting. Like, really sorry. But hey, at least I know where I plan to go with this story. Sorry, I'm horrible. Please review!

* * *

"Why, hello there young lady. To what do I owe this extra visit?"

After meeting with the Nirukage, Tenten, Lee, Shikamaru, and Sakura returned to Silver Village. Shikamaru, along with the other three suspected that the old woman Tenten had spoken to earlier had something to do with Gin's kidnapping. It was Tenten's job to talk to her again to see if she could gather more clues about the Prince's whereabouts.

"Hi! Good to see you again. I was wondering if you still had some of the paste you were telling me about earlier. Last night my boyfriend was feeling a bit… frisky, and I just couldn't keep up," Tenten said as she was fighting away the images of a 'frisky' Lee that kept popping into her head.

"Boyfriend, huh? Yesterday you two were just friends."

Tenten rubbed the back of her neck. "Calling our relationship complicated is an understatement."

The woman chuckled. "Of course you can have some paste, but be wary. This paste is what caused me to have five more children after my first."

Tenten laughed lightly and put the paste jar into her hip pouch. Then she looked at the woman and spoke again.

"So if you don't mind me asking, are you originally from Silver Village, or did you move here from somewhere else?"

The woman was silent for many seconds and looked at Tenten with a weary expression on her face.

"No, I was not originally from Silver. I was born and raised in a small village by the border of Silver."

"I was wondering why you stay here in this village if you don't agree with the way it's ruled. Why don't you just go back to the place you were raised? If I were to ever feel oppressed by the Hokage, I would leave Konoha in a heartbeat and live somewhere else with a kind ruler."

"As I said yesterday, I am certain there will be a change in this village soon. I can guarantee it."

Tenten squinted her eyes and gave the woman a sharp glare. This woman was defiantly hiding something. Tenten's face softened again as she asked more questions.

"What about your kids? You said you have six? Are they still around? Do they have families of their own?"

"I have seven children, actually. Believe it or not, I just recently had another child about 14 years ago. My other children currently live in Ame. All my eldest children and I had a falling out once they became older. It's really a shame. As a mother, all I want to do is to keep my children safe by any means necessary, but they passionately disagree with my beliefs. Thankfully, my youngest child has similar beliefs to my own."

"So your youngest lives with you in Silver Village?"

"Indeed she does," the woman replied. "It was very nice talking with you, but I must be heading home now. Please, come again tomorrow if you so desire. I really enjoy you Konoha folk. You guys are nowhere near as stuck up and selfish as the people of Silver."

Tenten gave the woman a smile. "I have a feeling we'll be going home tomorrow, but we might run into each other again."

"Of course! Thank you again for your kindness."

"Your welcome," Tenten said as she turned to walk away. She made her way behind a row of vendors into an ally where Shikamaru, Sakura, and Lee were waiting for her.

"So what did you find out?" Shikamaru asked.

"She's not from Silver, she openly admitted that, but she didn't admit to being from the Hidden Rain. She did say that her oldest children live there while her youngest child lives with her here in Silver. Oh, and here's the paste I was talking about earlier."

Tenten dug into her pouch and handed the jar to Sakura. Sakura examined the label of the jar before she opened it up. She scooped a small amount onto her finger and smelled the paste. Next, she stuck her tongue out and took a small taste of it before her eyes got wide.

"This has a really strong hormone in it. It should only be sold as a prescription. There's no way this stuff could be sold by a street vendor legally. This stuff is only given to infertile couples. Under no circumstance should it be prescribed to anyone else. How the heck did she get her hands on this stuff?"

"Wait, this stuff stimulates fertility?" Tenten asked.

"Significantly."

Shikamaru noticed that Tenten was deep in thought. "What are you thinking?"

"What would happen if the leader of Silver Village were to marry and have children with someone from another village?"

"Historically, when that happened, the greater of the two villages would rule over both villages and the two would share assets," Lee stated.

"What are you getting at, Tenten?" Sakura asked.

"I think the Prince was kidnapped to be forced to reproduce with someone from Ame. If that were to happen it would mean that the Prince and the patriarchy of Silver Village would have the responsibility to support Ame, specifically with their wealth."

"So Rain villagers are behind this kidnapping, but not those residing in Rain currently, but the refugees that disagree with the new, peaceful policies," Shikamaru added.

Everyone was silent for a moment before Sakura interjected.

"So now that we know why Gin was kidnapped and by who, how are we going to find him?"

Shikamaru smirked. "It seems that Tenten's friend is going to lead us right to him."

Everyone turned around to look at the street of vendors. The woman that Tenten spoke with was walking away from her tent, all her items from the stand packed up in a bag.

"We're going to follow her. Make sure to stay low guys."

After Shikamaru gave his orders, the four shinobi took off.

xxx

The old woman arrived at a house in the outskirts of Silver Village. She placed her bags down on the ground in front of the door and searched inside one of the bags for something. Soon after, she pulled a key from the bag and started to unlock her door. Once the door was unlocked, she opened the door and picked up her bags from the ground. She was about to take her first step into the house, but she discovered that she could not move.

"Shadow possession was a success."

She noticed the voice behind her, but could not turn her head to see who the owner of the voice was.

"Alright Tenten, you know what to do."

"Got it."

Next thing the woman knew someone was chaining her up. After the chains around her were locked into place, she felt her control of her body come back. She was able to move underneath the chains enough to turn around and see who was to blame for her confinements.

"You, what do you think you're doing?"

Shikamaru stepped forward. "I really have to thank you for telling my friend here all the clues we needed to find the whereabouts of the Prince of Silver Village. Now, whether you mind or not, we're going to keep you here and we're going to go inside to find the Prince."

Shikamaru walked towards the door as Sakura, Lee, and Tenten followed. As the entered the home, they heard the woman yelling and struggling to get free from the restraints.

"You four aren't going to change anything. Silver Village will fall to the immense power of the Rain."

The Leaf shinobi decided to ignore the woman and continued into the house. When they got into an open room, they stopped and decided on a plan of attack.

"I think we should all split up and look for Gin. If anyone finds him, yell at the others. Everyone be on your guard, you never know if any other refugees could be hiding here."

Sakura, Lee, and Tenten nodded in response to Shikamaru's request before they all took off in different directions. Tenten made her way down the nearest hallway and opened every door along the hall. She got to the last room at the end of the hallway and opened it only to see nothing due to the lack of any light. After she found a light switch, she turned it on and found a tied up boy in the corner of the room. Tenten was shocked to see that the boy was wearing no clothes and had bruises all over his body.

"Hey! I think I found him!" Tenten shouted to her teammates.

Quickly, the other three arrived at the same room that Tenten was in and was just as shocked as Tenten was. Sakura approached the boy and took out that gag that was tied around his mouth and the rest of his bindings. The boy instantly began to scream when his mouth was free.

"Shh, hey, you're okay. We're here to help you."

The boy stopped screaming, but his eyes remained wide as he looked at the Leaf shinobi before him.

"Who are you guys? Where are Fumi and Ryoko?"

Sakura looked back at her teammates, silently asking whom Fumi and Ryoko are, but her only reply was three shrugs. Sakura looked back at the boy and tried to calm him down.

"We're from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. We were hired to come and find you and take you back home."

The boy looked confused. "Home? What do you mean?"

Before Sakura had a chance to reply to Gin, a voice at the door startled her and the other shinobi.

"Get away from Gin! He's mine, leave him alone."

There was a girl standing at the entrance to the room, wielding a kunai. In response, the four Leaf villagers took out their own weapons if a need to defend arose. There was a moment of silent stares before Gin yelled out.

"Fumi! Help me! These people are trying to take me away."

"This must be the woman's daughter," Tenten said. "She must be the one that wants to conceive with Gin."

The girl got a sinister smile on her face. "So it seems you meddling Leaf shinobi are already aware of mine and my mother's plans. Well, you see, you all are too late. I am already with child. Nine months from now, the Hidden Rain Village will be reborn, along with the birth of this child. Rain and Silver will be forced to join their families together. Ame will be wealthy and respected by all the other major villages."

Sakura groaned at the girl. "Okay, I've had about enough of all this madness. You're going to be stopped one way or another."

Sakura ran towards Fumi, preparing and directing a punch at her face, but Sakura was stopped when Gin came between the two and deflected Sakura's punch.

"Wh-what?!"

"Don't you dare lay a hand on my precious Fumi!" Gin shouted at Sakura.

"Why in the world is he defending his own kidnapper?" Lee wondered out loud.

"He must have Stockholm syndrome," Shikamaru answered. "Someone who's been kidnapped is brainwashed into thinking that where the kidnapper took them is their new home. Gin's mind is distorted and he thinks we're the kidnappers now."

Tenten threw her hands up in frustration. "This is ridiculous! Look Gin, this woman is using you for no other reason than sex and conception. You need to snap out of it. Silver Village is where you belong and we're here to take you back."

Gin did not reply and instead charged toward Tenten, aiming an attack at her. Tenten held up her own weapon in defense, ready for Gin's hit. Before Gin could reach her, though, Lee slid his way between Tenten and Gin, blocking Gin's attack. Gin slid a few meters away from Lee with an angry look on his face.

"Humph, stupid kid."

Lee did not hear Gin's insult, but instead Tenten's shouting.

"Why did you do that Lee? I was all set to block him! You were reckless to do that. You put us both in danger. Stop getting in my way, I can handle myself!"

"I'm sorry Tenten, it was only a reaction. All I want to do is protect you and keep you safe."

"I don't need to be protected!"

"Guys! LOOK OUT!"

Lee and Tenten had no time to react to Shikamaru's warning. A moment later, Lee's back was impaled with shuriken, thrown by Fumi. Lee's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell forward. Tenten was frozen at the sight of Lee getting hit. Luckily, Shikamaru was fast enough to catch Lee before he fell to the ground.

" _No… I think… I'm done…"_

As the chaos around continued, Tenten stood in her place, unable to move. As she stared at Lee's motionless body, her conscious took her back to the battlefield of the war. Lee's body, cradled by Shikamaru was replaced with Neji's body, cradled by Naruto. Once again, one of her teammates has fallen right before her eyes because she wasn't strong enough to save him.

" _Because… you called me… a genius."_

Remembering Neji's last words, Tenten fell to her knees and screamed.

"No! Neji!"

* * *

I'll make sure to update ASAP so I don't leave you guys hanging from that cliff too much.


	11. The Resolution

Yay! an update in, what I would like to consider, a timely fashion. Please leave reviews and tell me what you think!

* * *

" _Get the medical team! There's a critical injury!"_

" _Neji is… dead."_

Tenten tried to move her body, tried to stop screaming, but her clouded mind took over her entire state. She no longer saw he teammates and the fight in front of her. All she saw was Neji's cold, dead body in front of her.

"TENTEN! This isn't the time to be having a breakdown! Snap out of it!"

Reality started to come back to Tenten's vision. Shikamaru was no longer holding on to Lee. Instead, he had the two enemies in his shadow possession jutsu. Sakura took over Shikamaru's previous role and was sitting at Lee's side, healing his wounds. Tenten continued to stare at Lee regained consciousness and started to sit up. Tenten's gaze was broken when she heard Shikamaru's voice again.

"Lee's fine. He's not going to die, but you have to fight if you want him, or any of us, for that matter, to survive. You can't freeze up like that."

Tenten shook her head and looked at Shikamaru. "I'm sorry about that. It won't happen again. Don't worry, I'll take care of these guys."

Tenten released a sword from a scroll and charged after the two enemies stuck in Shikamaru's jutsu. She was about to pierce the two kids when the old woman from the street vendors suddenly appeared behind Tenten and grabbed her, putting her in a hold. Tenten struggled to break free but was unsuccessful.

"How did you get out?"

"Sweetie, I'm a ninja from the Rain. I was trained to be an assassin. You really think simple chains could hold me?"

Tenten could hear Shikamaru seething in the background.

"Almost done there, Sakura?"

"I'm sorry, I need more time. Lee's wounds aren't fully healed yet."

Shikamaru groaned. "Just our luck."

Shikamaru released his jutsu, allowing for Gin and Fumi to escape and charge towards Tenten. Shikamaru ran towards her and simultaneously helped her escape from the woman's hold and blocked the children's attacks.

"Tenten, can you keep up with a two-on-three, or are you planning on having some more meltdowns?"

"No, I'm fine. Let's go."

Shikamaru and Tenten continued to fight Gin, Fumi, and the old woman, Ryoko. The fight continued on for at least an hour, a never-ending cycle of attack, block, attack, block. All five contenders in the fight were slowly losing chakra and were beginning to lose strength. Tenten was reaching the point of losing her stamina entirely. She was about to fall to her knees in exhaustion when a flash of pink rushed by her.

"CHAAAAAA!"

Sakura punched the ground, causing the three enemies to lose their balance and fall to the ground. After her punch, she stood up straight and stared at Ryoko.

"What you're doing is sick and inhumane. Forcing this young boy and your own daughter to have an unwanted child together? It's disgusting! If you really believe that Silver Village owes something to the Hidden Rain, there are better ways to do it than to create a child just for your own benefit."

Ryoko scuffed. "Who are you Leaf ninja to talk about the 'correct' circumstances to have a child? I mean, just ask your friend with the buns here what she thinks."

Tenten's face grew red with embarrassment. That's right, she admitted to this woman that Lee, her 'boyfriend', wasn't the father of her baby.

"I… But that's… Um…"

Before Tenten could answer, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I can promise with all of my being that the child Tenten is carrying is a child created out of nothing but pure love and admiration."

"Lee…"

Lee gave Tenten his signature grin before he took a few steps forward, charging at the three enemies soon after.

"Leaf Hurricane!"

Ryoko, Fumi, and Gin tried to move out of Lee's line of attack but discovered that they were unable to move. They looked past Lee to see Shikamaru crouched on the ground with his fingers woven in a hand sign and a smirk on his face. Not a second later, the three trapped in Shikamaru's jutsu were knocked out by Lee's attack. They fell to the ground, quickly losing consciousness.

"Lee! You weren't supposed to kill them!" Tenten shouted.

"Hehe, sorry about that."

Sakura walked over to the three bodies to check for vital signs.

"They're not dead, just unconscious. And they'll probably stay unconscious for at least a day. What should we do with them?"

"Gin needs to be returned to the palace immediately," Shikamaru said. "But Fumi and Ryoko…"

"What are you thinking, Shikamaru?" Tenten asked.

"You guys might not like this idea, but I think we have to abort Fumi's kid."

This statement shocked everyone, especially Sakura.

"No way. Absolutely not. I will not stand to see an innocent child murdered, never even getting the chance to live."

"I'm not trying to be an ass, Sakura, but think about it. This is exactly what Ryoko wanted. She won. Silver Village is now obligated to give financial support to the Hidden Rain Village. If the Hidden Rain wants to continue on this new peaceful path, they can't do it if that child is born."

"No, it's not going to happen."

"Then what do you propose we do?"

"I have an idea," Lee said, raising his hand into the air. "We should have a gathering between the leaders of both Silver Village and the Hidden Rain. We should discuss the situation with them and see what decision they come up with."

"That's…" Sakura said before pausing. "That's actually a good idea."

Lee flashed a large grin.

"Okay then. Tenten and Lee, you guys are going to take Gin back to Silver Village and escort the King to the Hidden Rain for a conference with the Nirukage. Sakura and I are going to take Fumi and Ryoko to the Hidden Rain. I'm sure while we're there, Sakura can heal their wounds before they're placed in captivity."

"Got it!"

xxx

"Welcome, King of Silver Village. I wish we could be meeting each other under more positive circumstances," the Nirukage said as Tenten, Lee, and Silver's King walked into the Nirukage's chambers.

"I as well, Lord Nirukage."

"Am I to assume that these Leaf ninjas have explained the situation to you?"

The King nodded. "You are correct. My son, Gin, is currently in the hospital receiving treatment for his wounds. It seems that during his time in captivity, he obtained Stockholm syndrome. It will probably take many years for him to finally return to his original state. I must admit, when Gin was returned home and the situation was initially explained to me, I had a deep hatred for you and your land, but now my mind has cleared, significantly. It really is a shame that one of your own people were to defy you, especially during your new time of peace."

"I thank you for your sympathy, but I must take responsibility for what has happened. While Ryoko did reside in Silver Village, she was never given citizenship. She was and still is, a member of the Hidden Rain and because of that, I am to blame for your suffering, my king."

The King of Silver raised his hand up. "Please cease your apologizes, Nirukage. None of this was in your control. Yes, Ryoko is a citizen of the Hidden Rain, but her daughter, Fumi, was born in Silver Village making her a citizen of Silver. Fumi has no affiliation with the Hidden Rain, and therefore, this new grandchild of mine would have no connection to Ame politics.

"What exactly are you saying, my Lord?"

"I'm saying that I will take custody of Fumi and we will continue to raise her along with her child in Silver's palace, if these arrangements are okay with you, of course."

The Nirukage got up from his seat and walked over to the King so they were standing face to face. Next, the Nirukage dropped down to his knees and bowed before the Kind of Silver Village.

"I cannot thank you enough for pardoning this village for its' crimes against you. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

The King smiled. "Please raise yourself from the ground. Your declaration of peace is enough of a repayment for me. I want Silver Village and the Village Hidden in the Rain to be able to live in harmony for many years to come. All I ask is that you continue leading this land as you have been."

Once the King was finished, the Nirukage bent over at his waist, giving the King a small bow in thanks. The King then turned to Tenten and Lee.

"Now that this situation is settled, I request your services yet again, to escort myself and Fumi back to Silver."

Shikamaru cleared his throat. "Before we go, I have a few things to ask."

Everybody turned his or her attention to Shikamaru.

"Ryoko said that in order to sell her own products on the streets, she had to pay a heavy tax. She also said if she didn't want to pay that tax, she could sell Silver products made by slaves. Would you care to explain this to me?"

"That is just simply untrue. We encourage the people of our village to sell any products they choose to, and we pride ourselves on being a tax-free village. And Silver products aren't made by slaves, they are made by Ame citizens."

The Leaf shinobi turned to the Nirukage in shock.

"Indeed, it is true, but let me express that these workers are paid a significant amount."

The King continued his speech. "When Ame declared its reform, Silver Village offered to fund Ame, but the offer was refused. Ame wanted to begin anew, with no support from other villages, but I insisted on helping one way or another so I offered for unemployed Ame citizens to work in Silver. It seems that Ryoko has lied to you people. I hope this clears everything up. Silver really is a peaceful village, along with the Village Hidden in the Rain."

"Yes, I know that now," Shikamaru said. "That brings me to my next question." Shikamaru looked at the Nirukage. "The five great nations have proposed the Shinobi Union Treaty. I would like to personally invite the Village Hidden in the Rain to take part in signing this treaty."

The Nirukage smiled. "Why thank you son, but I must decline your offer. As you can see, we are not an established peaceful village yet. There are still people, like Ryoko, who choose the devious path of life. I wish to educate my people and train them to be less malicious. I feel Ame is not ready to sign this treaty."

"I understand, but please remember that the offer still stands in the future."

"Thank you, to all of you. You four really do you village proud."

The Nirukage finished with a bow to the Leaf shinobi before they were escorted out of the Nirukage's office, along with the King.

"Well," Sakura started. "Let's bring Silver's King back to his village so we can head back to our village."

xxx

There was a knock on the Hokage's door.

"Come in," Tsunade shouted.

One by one, the four shinobi assigned to go to Silver Village entered the room and stood in a line in front of the Hokage.

"Ah, yes, I was expecting you four soon. Congratulations on the success of your mission. The ANBU agents that I assigned to watch you returned a short while ago and informed me of how your mission went. I'm very impressed with all of your hard work. This was a really tough case to crack."

"Thank you very much, Lady Hokage," the four said in unison.

Tsunade smiled. "Now, I'm sure you're all eager to find out about your promotion status…"

While they didn't say anything, the eyes of the chunin standing before Tsunade widened significantly.

"Congratulations. You four are promoted to the rank of jonin in the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

Tenten, Lee, Sakura, and even Shikamaru cheered with delight. Tsunade spread our four pieces of paper in front of her. They were certificates confirming their promotions.

"I'm really proud of all of you. Make sure to keep up the good work."

The newly promoted jonin smiled and bowed to the Hokage. Tsunade smiled back at them.

"Lee, Shikamaru, and Sakura, you three are dismissed."

They were all slightly shocked that Tenten was not dismissed, but they followed their orders regardless. Once the three were out of the room, Tenten started to speak.

"Is there something you needed, Lady Tsunade?"

Tsunade placed her elbows on her desk and leaned forward, resting her chin in her hands.

"I heard that you had a break down in the middle of a fight. Do you mind telling me about that?"

Tenten's face got red with embarrassment. "I'm very sorry, Lady Tsunade. During the fight, Lee got injured and I was reminded of when Neji…"

Tenten couldn't bring herself to admit out loud that Neji was dead. Tsunade fell back into her chair and sighed.

"Look Tenten, I know what you're going through, I really do. I've had my fair share of teammates die in combat. When Jiraiya died, for a while I felt no reason to continue living my own life. But I got out of my slump eventually. I'm not asking you to forget about Neji, but you can't let his death affect you this much."

"Yes, m'lady," Tenten said as she looked at the ground.

"I'm serious, Tenten. You put yourself and your teammates in danger out there. The only reason I promoted you to jonin was that you discovered Ryoko's true intentions. If these episodes continue, I'm going to have to ask you to resign from being a shinobi."

Tenten snapped her head up, her eyes wide in fear.

"Please, no ma'am! I can't resign. I have no clue what I would do if I weren't a ninja anymore. This is the only life I've ever known and I don't want to give it up. Please, Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade raised a hand up. "Calm down, calm down. I'm not asking you to resign, I'm just warning you that you might have to if your emotions don't stay in check."

Tenten sighed a breath of relief.

"Now, in the meantime," Tsunade continued. "I have to put you on maternity leave. You are no longer allowed to go on any C rank or higher missions until two months after your child is born. I can allow you to go on D rank missions if you so choose, but you must have a partner for any future missions. I'm really sorry, but it's protocol. I hope you understand."

"I do, Lady Hokage. Thank you very much."

Tenten turned around and made her way to the door.

"One more thing, Tenten."

Tenten turned to look at Tsunade.

"If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask. I know your financial situation is going to be shaky the next couple months. Please come to me if you need help."

"I will. Thank you again, Lady Tsunade."

Tenten opened the door and left the Hokage's office. She made her way towards the building's exit before she was stopped.

"Tenten, let's talk."

Startled, Tenten turned around to see Shikamaru leaning next to the Hokage's door.

"What do you want to talk about, Shikamaru?"

"Not here. Follow me."

xxx

After a short walk from the Hokage's tower, Tenten discovered that Shikamaru was leading her to Konoha's ever-growing cemetery. Tenten stopped in her tracks. Shikamaru noticed this and turned to look at her.

"Where exactly are we going?" Tenten asked.

"Just follow me."

Shikamaru kept walking in the original direction while Tenten remained in the same spot. Shikamaru continued to walk but called out to her at the same time.

"We're not going to Neji's grave."

Tenten took a few seconds to register what he said. After that, she jogged to catch up with him. She followed him for the rest of the trek before he stopped in front of a grave. Tenten stopped as well and looked at the name on the stone.

Asuma Sarutobi.

Tenten gave a small gasp and looked over at Shikamaru. He made no eye contact with her as he pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and placed it in front of his sensei's grave. He straightened up and stared at his handy work before speaking.

"You're not the only one who's dealing with loss, so don't think you're a special case."

Tenten looked over at Shikamaru with an offended look on her face. Shikamaru ignored her and continued.

"But that doesn't change the fact that you're still hurting. When Asuma died, everyone told me that I needed to move on, get over him, there's nothing I could do. It just seemed that no one understood what I was feeling, but now, I finally get it. They all knew what I was going through, they all experienced it. The difference was, they were at a different point in the grieving process then I was. They weren't letting the loss of a loved one get in the way of their own life. I thought they were all be insensitive, but all they wanted was for me to get to the same point they were at, and there's no way to get there without being blunt."

Shikamaru turned to look at Tenten.

"I know that you're in a lot of pain, but Neji would've never wanted you live like this. Whether you like it or not, you're still alive and you need to live your life to the fullest for Neji's sake. You can't just throw your life away like you did on our mission."

Tenten silently stared at Shikamaru for a few seconds before she looked down at the ground.

"So you're telling me one day you woke up, had an epiphany, and came to terms with your sensei's death?"

Shikamaru chuckled. "Yeah, if only it was that easy. You see, I was lucky because there was something I had to protect after Asuma died. His will of fire continued on. He only died in flesh. His spirit still burns within another."

Tenten's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. Before Shikamaru got the chance to reply to her confusion, Tenten heard a shout across the field.

"Shikamaru!"

Tenten and Shikamaru looked over to see Kurenai at the entrance of the cemetery. She was holding her daughter, Mirai, in her arms and walked towards Shikamaru and Tenten. Before she got to the two teenagers, Shikamaru turned to Tenten and continued to talk.

"Do you get it now? I can't spend my whole life grieving over Asuma because I have to protect Mirai, just like you have to protect your child."

Tenten shook her head. "It's not the same. This child isn't Neji's, it's Lee's. Look, Shikamaru, I appreciate your help but…"

"Spare me the bullshit, Tenten," Shikamaru said interrupting her. "I'm not an idiot. That's Neji's child and it's your job to protect him or her to your fullest extent, and you can't do that if you spend your time moping over Neji."

Tenten's mouth hung open as she stared at Shikamaru. Before she had a chance to say anything to him, Kurenai walked up next to Shikamaru. Kurenai reached out one hand, offering a hug to Shikamaru. He happily gave her one and took Mirai from her arms afterward.

"Hey, how's my little monkey?"

Mirai babbled in response to Shikamaru. Kurenai smiled at her daughter and turned her attention to Tenten.

"It's nice to see you Tenten. What brings you here?"

"Shikamaru was… helping me figure some things out."

Kurenai gave a soft laugh. "He's pretty good at that, isn't he?"

Shikamaru mumbled "yeah, yeah" before he sat down in front of Asuma's grave, still holding on tight to Mirai. As Shikamaru silently talked to Mirai, Kurenai began a conversation with Tenten.

"I haven't seen you in a while, Tenten. How are you? And Gai and Lee for that matter?"

"Believe it or not, I haven't seen much of Gai. He's still cooped up in the hospital thanks to his shattered legs. Tsunade's sure that he's never going to walk again, but then again, she said that about Lee a few years ago, and look at him now. Only time will tell at this point."

"Regardless of if he can walk or not, just count your lucky stars that he's alive. He may be blunt and have too much energy, but he is an amazing sensei and he raised you three like his own children. You and Lee are so lucky to have an amazing teacher like Gai."

Tenten smiled as she looked down at Asuma's grave. "I never really thought of that. I am really lucky that the only parental figure in my life is still with me. I just wish all of us could still be here. Team Gai, my family."

"Oh sweetie." Kurenai enveloped Tenten in a hug. At first, Tenten felt uncomfortable with the contact, but she soon wrapped her arms around Kurenai, returning the hug. Once they pulled apart, Tenten remembered something important.

"Oh! I forgot to mention this. Lee and I are expecting a child," Tenten said as she placed her hand on her stomach.

Kurenai exclaimed loudly and grabbed Tenten for another hug, this time crushing Tenten in the process. Tenten squirmed, trying to get out of Kurenai's hold.

"Sensei, you're kinda crushing me."

Kurenai let go of the girl. "Sorry about that. This is so exciting! You two are the first ones of your generation to have a kid. If you asked me, I was sure that Shikamaru and that Sand girl would have hit it off before anyone else."

Shikamaru turned his attention away from Mirai for a moment. "As I've said repeatedly, Temari and I are just friends."

"Uh huh, of course. Just keep playing with my daughter."

Shikamaru obeyed Kurenai's orders, but not before mumbling "what a drag." Kurenai turned her attention back to Tenten.

"I'm so happy for you two. Oh! How about I drop off some of Mirai's old stuff for you tomorrow?"

Tenten shook her head. "You don't have to do that, Kurenai sensei. Really, I'm fine."

"Oh please, let me help out. Mirai is growing so fast and I have so many pieces of clothes piling up in my house, collecting dust. Please let me give some to you."

Tenten sighed. "Alright."

"How wonderful!"

Kurenai gave Tenten one last hug, this time being mindful not to hurt the girl.

"Now, if you don't mind, Lee's been waiting for me at home for quite a while. I should really head there before he starts freaking out looking for me," Tenten said.

"Of course. Remember, if you ever need anything, just let me know."

"I know, I will. Thank you, Kurenai sensei."

"Tenten!" Shikamaru yelled before Tenten got too far away."

She turned to look at him, her eyebrows up in question.

"You're secret's safe with me."

* * *

I gotta tell you, I'm really proud of this chapter. I like how my little AU creation of Silver Village and their conflict with the Hidden Rain fits nicely into the canon storyline. If any of you caught it, Ame joins the shinobi union at the beginning of Shikamaru's Hiden. And I just love Mirai as a character so much! I can't wait to see more of her in Boruto


	12. The Widow

Yay for quick updates! I write these on my phone at work. Shhh, don't tell my boss. This chapter is kinda short and sweet, just a breather from the last chapter. READ AND REVIEW! PLEASE!

* * *

The next morning, there was a knock on Tenten's door. She got up from her spot in the kitchen and went to answer it. On the other side of the door stood Kurenai, holding many large shopping bags.

"Good morning, Tenten. How have you been today?"

"Not too bad. I gotta say, that mission was kinda stressful. I'm glad that I have time to get good sleep now."

"That's wonderful. When I first went on maternity leave, it was so relaxing but after a while, I was so bored and itching for things to do."

Tenten gave a light laugh. "Have you met Lee? I'm never going to be bored with him around."

"Yes, I guess you're right. Where is he right now, anyway?"

"He's out training. I'm not really sure when he'll be back but I do know that he was really excited to hear you were coming."

"Well I'll be happy to see him if he shows up, in the meantime, here are all of Mirai's clothes that no longer fit her. Everything here is pretty much a gender-neutral color. I tried not to buy too much pink when Mirai was first born."

Kurenai handed Tenten one of the bags and Tenten rummaged through it to see what was inside. There were many clothes suitable for newborns in the bag. There was a wide range of colors and sizes. Kurenai smiled at Tenten as she looked through the bags. Every now and then she pulled out an article of clothing and held it up to admire it.

"Mirai is three months old now, but she's getting so big that she's already in six-month clothes. If your baby doesn't grow like mine, you'll be set for at least five months."

Tears started to form in Tenten's eyes as she stood up and gave Kurenai a hug.

"Thank you so much, Sensei. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Anything I can do to help. No woman should have to go through a pregnancy without the guidance and encouragement of another woman."

Tenten grinned and gave Kurenai another quick hug. "Thank you again. I'm going to go put this in Lee's room."

As Tenten walked out of the living room, Kurenai raised her eyebrow in curiosity. She raised her voice so Tenten could hear her from the other room.

"You and Lee have separate rooms?"

"We did," Tenten shouted back. She finished putting her things away then came back into the living room. "Neji and Lee use to crash here all the time. They liked that it was just me here with no parents so they came over a lot to get away from their own family drama. The room just kinda became theirs after a while. Lee and I sleep in the same room now, so we're thinking about turning the spare room into a nursery."

"That's so exciting! When are you going to start working on it?"

"I'm not sure. Lee won't let me lift so much as an empty box. It's all up to him when it comes to deciding when things get done."

"You really are lucky to have him in your life."

Tenten laughed. "Yeah, he's pretty great sometimes but having spent the last 6 years of my life with him, he gets to be a little too much."

"Don't forget," Kurenai replied. "I grew up with Gai. Lee is the spitting image of him as a kid, so I do understand."

The two women laughed together until they were out of breath.

After a short silence, Tenten spoke. "You can have a seat if you want to. Do you want some tea? I have some already on the stove."

"I'd love some tea."

Tenten made her way to the kitchen while Kurenai sat on the couch in the living room. A minute later, Tenten returned with two cups of tea in her hand. She handed one to Kurenai before she also sat down on the couch. Kurenai took a sip then gave a hard stare to Tenten.

"So how are you and Lee holding up without Neji around?"

Tenten looked at the ground sadly. "It's hard. A lot harder than I ever would have expected."

"Neji really was an amazing person. Unlike that Sasuke Uchiha, who just ran away once things got difficult, Neji took the struggles he had as a child and used them as a way to make himself stronger. It warmed my heart so much when he finally forgave Hinata and the main branch. From that point, I was no longer Hinata sole protector. I knew she had someone else to watch her if ever I couldn't."

"I remember that time well. Right after our first chunin exams, he didn't see Lee and me as a hindrance to his strength, but as teammates who could help his strength grow. Trying to go on without him here has been really tough for me."

"I know that Hinata has just been absolutely heartbroken since he passed, so I'm sure you guys feel just as bad, if not worse. I just can't stand it when she says it's her fault he died."

Tenten spoke no response to Kurenai, but her expression did change.

"What is it, Tenten?"

"Lee thinks the same thing too. He keeps telling himself that if he were faster, he could've helped him."

Kurenai stared deep into Tenten's eyes.

"And what do you think? Is someone to blame for Neji's death?"

Tenten stayed quiet for a few seconds before answering.

"Yeah, I did, at lease. After Neji died, I despised Hinata. I know as her sensei, you don't want to hear that, but it's what I truly felt. I kept thinking that if she would just let her silly infatuation with Naruto go, if she were stronger, Neji wouldn't have to sacrifice himself to save her. I thought it was all her fault."

"Do you still think that?"

Tenten shook her head. "No. After the funeral, Hiashi came to talk to me and he told me a bunch of stories about Neji when he was a kid with his father. It was then that I realized that it was going to happen sooner or later. Neji wanted to die protecting Hinata because, for the first time in his life, it was a choice, not a duty. He wanted to become the hero that his father was, dying to protect his family."

Tenten looked up at Kurenai and gave her a sad smile. "I know now that it was something Neji had to do, but that doesn't make the pain go away."

Kurenai reached out and gave her a hug. "But let me tell you, knowing that makes you all the stronger," Kurenai said.

Tenten leaned back after the hug and wiped away the single tear that fell down her face.

"If you don't mind me asking, I have a sensitive question to ask you," Tenten said.

"Anything," Kurenai replied.

"How hard was it during your pregnancy without Asuma sensei?"

A look of sadness took over Kurenai's face. "It was really hard. A pregnancy is designed for two people; the woman supports the baby while the man supports the woman. I was fortunate to have all the kids help out, Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, Shino, and Hinata. But I still felt a void in my life the entire time. Now, I look into Mirai's eyes and I see him, likes he's still here watching us."

"Do you ever worry about what Mirai's going to think in the future?"

"Everyday. I could never imagine what it would be like to grow up without a father. I admire you and Naruto and all of the other children that had to go through that. I just can't help but think about what she's going to ask why she's older. I want her to remember Asuma as a hero and a loving father until his very last breath, I don't want her to resent him and his legacy because he left her."

"I really don't think she would. Shikamaru would never let her."

Kurenai smiled. "I never thought about that. I just feel so bad for Shikamaru sometimes. He bends over backward to take care of Mirai and myself. He's trying too hard to be Mirai's father figure, but he's not her father. There's only so much he can do for us. I feel like I'm burdening him by making him a replacement father."

Tenten looked down at the ground once more. "Replacement father, huh?"

Kurenai looked at Tenten with a concerned look. "Is there a specific reason you're asking these questions?"

Tenten slowly nodded her head before she made eye contact with Kurenai. "Yeah, actually. The truth is-"

"Tenten! My youthful flower, I am home. Fear no more, for I am here to take all your troubles away."

Tenten and Kurenai turned around to see Lee standing proudly at the door.

"He always has to make an entrance," Tenten mumbled.

Kurenai got up from her seat and walked over to Lee to give him a hug.

"It's very nice to see you, Lee. How have you been?"

"Despite the days going by, I feel more youthful than ever. I must keep my body in the best shape so I can properly raise my child," Lee said, flashing a grin.

Kurenai laughed while Tenten let her face fall into her hands.

Lee looked around the room before speaking to Kurenai. "Where is Mirai? I was hoping to spend time with her. I need to practice my fathering technique with her."

Tenten also got up and walked over to where Kurenai and Lee were standing. "Lee, she's a baby, not a soccer ball. You can't 'practice' with her."

Kurenai laughed, yet again. "No, no. It's quite all right. Sadly, she's staying at the Nara family home right now. Maybe I can come over again and bring her with me. How does that sound?"

"How wonderful!" Lee exclaimed.

"That would be great, actually," said Tenten.

"Well, I'll let you know in the future. But for now, I really need to head out. I have a mission that I need to go on."

Tenten raised an eyebrow in question. "You still go on missions?"

"Of course, just not as many as I use to and I try not to take missions harder than C rank. If you're worried about it after you have your baby, Tenten, don't be. Mothers can be some of the most badass ninjas around."

Tenten laughed. "Thank you, Kurenai. You really helped me get past something things today."

"I'm glad I could help," Kurenai said as she gave Tenten one last hug.

Kurenai turned around and was about to leave before she looked at a Tenten again.

"Oh, what were you going to tell me before Lee showed up?"

"Ummm," Tenten stammered, contemplating how to answer. "It was nothing important, really. I hope you have a good afternoon!"

"Thank you two!" Kurenai said, leaving Tenten's house. Once the door was shut, Tenten grabbed Lee's hand.

"You have to look at all this cute stuff Kurenai gave me!"

Lee stopped in his tracks as Tenten continued to pull on him. She noticed that he stopped and looked at him.

"What's wrong? Come on, I really want to show you this stuff."

"I will gladly look if we can do one thing first."

Tenten looked at Lee confused. "Yeah, sure. What is it?"

"There is a very important person who does not know of your pregnancy yet."

Tenten continued to stare in confusion. Suddenly, he eyes got wide as she realized what Lee was implying.

"Oh shit, Gai sensei."

* * *

lol, I kinda forgot about Gai until now. Whoops...


	13. The Past

So I started to write the next chapter after chapter 11, and I thought that a flashback was kinda necessary. And hey, everyone needs some Neji in their life, even if he's dead :) Anyway, this takes place really anytime after the first mission with Sai and before Asuma dies (spoilers, sorry). I wrote a year an a half ago, meaning it would be Julyish, around Neji's 17th birthday, but it really could be anywhere during that time. Well, have fun reading regardless.

* * *

(A year and a half ago)

The members of Team Gai, Neji, Tenten, and Lee, got together with their sensei at Yakiniku Q, per Gai's request. With the Akatsuki and other malicious groups about, the four members of the former Team Gai were constantly on missions up until this point. Sometimes they had a mission with one another, but never have the four of them been on a mission together since their trip to the Sand to back up Team 7. When Gai discovered that the four of them had a break, he insisted that they all get together for a meal.

"So, how have my bright and youthful students been?" Gai asked after everyone at the table placed their orders.

"I'm so beat! I feel like I'm on my feet 24/7," Tenten said.

"It seems that you've gone pretty soft since our genin days. What happened to the old, spitfire Tenten?" Neji asked.

Tenten snapper her head to look at Neji as she glared daggers at him. It was then that she noticed the playful smirk on his lips. After seeing it, she nudged him in the ribs with her elbow.

"Oh yeah, pretty boy? Seems you've gone soft too."

Neji's smirk never left his face as he replied. "Hyugas never 'go soft'"

"Whatever," Tenten said as she and Neji laughed lightly.

After their laughter subsided, the table was silent. It was known to most that Team Gai was anything but a silent team, so everyone at the table turned to look at the team's loudmouth, Lee. He was quiet and had a look of deep thought on his face. This was a rare sight on Lee and it concerned his teammates.

"Are you alright there, Lee?" Gai asked.

"Yes, I am fine. It is very interesting to see how much our team dynamic has changed all these years."

Tenten gave Lee a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"The three of us used to bicker and get on each other's nerves all the time, but now Tenten just called Neji a pretty boy and he laughed. Would that have happened three years ago, or would he use his Gentle Fist on someone?"

"We're a team, Lee. It's detrimental that we work together and get along," Neji replied.

"He's right, though, Neji," Tenten said. "Remember when we had our first training session and you asked me how I could ever be helpful in a fight, and I almost cut off your head with a kunai?"

"Well, I also recall a time when you spiked Lee's drink because you thought it would be entertaining. I don't know about you, but having to repair a building isn't a very entertaining activity," Neji said, glancing at Tenten.

Tenten ignored Neji's remark and continued to reminisce. "What about the time we waited for Lee in Lady Tsunade's office for 2 hours, only to find out that Sakura knocked him out for stalking her?"

"To this day, I still don't understand Lee's silly infatuation with Sakura," Neji said, sticking his nose up into the air.

"I am not infatuated with her," Lee stated quietly.

Tenten laughed at this. "Yeah, of course, you aren't. It's not like you've followed her around like a puppy since the moment you first met her."

Lee's face slumped slightly. "Why does it matter? Sakura's in love with someone else."

Lee's teammates stared at him. Sure, the rest of the village knew of Sakura's undying devotion to Sasuke, but Lee always chased after her anyway. It was shocking that he was finally admitting defeat. Tenten felt bad for Lee and reached her hand out and placed it on his shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay Lee. There's someone out there for everyone. You just need to give it some time."

Opposite to Tenten's reaction, Neji scuffed. "Why do you guys spend so much time focusing on silly, unrequited love? All that does is let your emotions get in your way. You can't be a good ninja if you're caught up in meaningless feelings."

Tenten glared at Neji after his rude remark, while Lee slumped more.

Gai shook his head. "On the contrary Neji, love is what makes a great ninja."

"I have to disagree, sensei."

"Every ninja loves something. How about yourself, Neji? You claim you don't love anyone, but tell me, do you love your cousin?"

"Of course I do, but not romantically."

"As to be expected, but you still love her. Every ninja has to love something, whether it is romantically, platonically, or brotherly, it's got to be there. If not, what's the point of being a ninja? If you love someone, there's also something you feel the need to protect with all your life."

"I get it," Tenten said. Next, she smiled widely at Lee. "Well, it just seems you gotta start loving another girl. Seems simple enough."

"I still feel a love for Sakura, but I am also beginning to feel a love for another woman, one who might possibly return my feelings."

"Oh, and who might that be?" Tenten asked, leaning closer to Lee. Lee did not respond, though his cheeks turned red.

"None of that matters, Tenten," Neji said. "Besides, romantic feelings are a waste of time."

Tenten looked at Neji, ready for the brewing argument. "So you're telling me that you're never going to get married and have children? Are you going to die old and alone? Is that it?"

Neji shook his head. "Of course not. My reproducing is essential if the Hyuga clan is to flourish. I will simply marry the woman arranged for me when the time comes and have children with her."

Tenten looked disgusted. "So you think having kids is nothing more than a duty? That's sick and twisted. A child should be born from two people who are in love. A child is love incarnate, not something to be used by the Hyuga clan."

"I'm sorry you feel that way, but it's how it must be done."

"Okay, but what if you didn't have to take part in an arranged marriage?" Tenten asked.

"But I have to."

Tenten sighed. "Humor me. If you weren't in the Hyuga clan, just a regular Joe off the street like me, would you have a family, or be alone?"

Neji paused, choosing his words carefully.

"I suppose that if I had the option to choose my own bride, then I would marry someone. It would be a humble woman who doesn't care about appearances like Ino and Sakura do. She would be kind, but also strong, both in personality and on the field. I would also prefer to marry someone who was familiar with my fighting style so we could work together in a fight if need be."

Tenten sat shocked. "Wow, I really wasn't expecting that answer."

"Then don't ask the question," Neji said, glaring slightly at Tenten.

The table was quiet for a moment until Lee spoke.

"Wait, Neji, the girl you just described was Tenten."

Both Neji and Tenten instantly turned red. Neji quickly denied Lee's claim.

"I am NOT attracted to Tenten if that's what you're insinuating."

"So you do not think Tenten is pretty?" Lee questioned.

"Well, I do, she is nice looking but..."

Tentens blush deepened.

"So you do like her?"

"Of course not!"

"Wait, you do not like her? But you two are teammates?"

"I do like her, a lot. I... just..."

For the first time in their lives, Lee, Tenten, and Gai witnessed Neji stammering.

"Lee, I would appreciate if you stopped asking questions. My relationship with Tenten is nothing more than platonic. Besides, it is against village rules for teammates to be romantically involved."

"Actually..." Gai interjected. "That's only true for a genin team. Tenten and Lee are now chunin and you are a jonin, Neji. Technically, Team Gai no longer exists.."

"So you are going to marry Tenten?" Lee questions again.

"No Lee! Those in the Hyuga clan must participate in an arranged marriage. I do not have romantic feelings for any woman in this village."

"So you like a man?"

"For the love of..." Neji stood up and placed some money down on the table. "I'm done here. It was nice to see you all again, but I must excuse myself."

Neji made his way away from the table and towards the exit to the restaurant. Wanting to clear that air, Tenten ran after him.

"Neji, wait!"

She eventually caught up to him, both of them standing on the street, a few feet from the building entrance. Neji looked at Tenten with a frustrated look on his face.

"I don't love you, so don't throw yourself at me like all the girls at the academy did."

Tenten was hurt by his comment but spoke anyway.

"I know you don't. And I'm not going to throw myself at you, I never have. I just wanted to see if we were okay. I don't want any of this awkwardness to affect us as a team at all."

Neji sighed. "I apologize for being so rash and letting my temper take control. I really appreciate your understanding. None of this is going to affect us. We've been a team for four years. We've had worse quarrels in the past and things have turned out fine."

Good," Tenten said smiling. "Well, have a good evening."

Tenten started to walk back into the restaurant when Neji called out to her.

"Tenten."

She turned around and looked at him.

"Thank you for always being reliable all these years. I wouldn't want anyone lee to watch my blind spot."

"It's my pleasure," Tenten said with a smile.

She was about to go back in Yakiniku Q when she bumped into Gai right outside the entrance.

"There you are. I thought you and Neji took off to go home."

"No, Neji did, but I wanted to clear things up first."

Gai nodded at Tenten and nudged Lee forward with his shoulder. Lee stumbled ahead and looked at the ground embarrassed.

"Tenten, I apologize for the way I acted. When I first suspected that Neji might have liked you, I got worried that I had to compete with him for your love."

Once Lee realized what he said, his eyes got wide and he clamped his hands over his mouth. Gai's eyes also got wide as the two men eagerly waited for Tenten's response.

Tenten sighed and looked at Lee with kind eyes.

"It's okay Lee. Like Gai said, it's important to love someone. Right now, we're just silly teenagers. We've barely begun our lives. We'll see what happens in the future. But for now, we're teammates and friends and I wouldn't want it any other way."

Lee looked up at Tenten and gave her a smile. Tenten walked over to Lee and gave him a hug. They pulled away from each other after a moment and Lee spoke again.

"Thank you for inviting us, Gai Sensei. I am going to head home now."

Gai nodded his head and Tenten waved to her teammates. Once Lee was out of sight, Tenten looked at Gai.

"I have a question Gai Sensei. What do you know about the arranged marriage Neji was talking about?"

"As you know, the Hyuga clan is one of the most prestigious clans in the village, and they try to keep it that way. Saying that, when a child of the Hyuga clan is of age to be wed, they must marry someone who can maintain the pristine image of the Hyuga clan. That means it has to be someone who is apart of a well-known and impeccable clan, similar to the Hyuga clan. It could also be someone who is a hero to the village."

Tenten's posture slumped. "So if someone who was an orphan was in love with someone from the Hyuga clan…?" Tenten began to ask as she trailed off. Gai still understood her question, though.

"Their love would remain nothing more than unrequited."

"Oh," Tenten said as she continued to stare at the ground.

"Promise me this Tenten, never let go of your love. Neji may be tied up in Hyuga clan law, but I'd like to believe that change is coming to the clan. People like Neji and Hinata are beginning to stand up to the elders and demand a better lifestyle. You never know what's going to happen in the future."

Tenten looked up at he sensei, not as glum as she previously was, but still noticeably in a sad mood.

"It just really stinks that you have no control over who you love. Maybe if I loved Lee the same way he loved me, things would work out fine."

"Don't force your emotions to do things they don't want to. I've been in love with a woman since I've been in the academy. Right now, she's living a happy life with someone else. Despite this, I'm not going to give up my love for her, because she's still a friend and she's still in my life and I will always cherish that."

Tenten smiled. "I guess you're right. I might not be able to have a romantic future with Neji, but I am his teammate. With the watch the clan has on him, I'm really lucky I get to see him as much as I do."

"Exactly," Gai said, smiling at his student. "Now, like the gentleman I am, I'm going to walk you home and you are going to rest up before your next mission starts."

"I think that's a great idea."


	14. The Sensei

Woohoo! A double feature. I love Team Gai so much. Seriously guys... this chapter and the last really shows how amazing this team is. Really my favorite team in all of Naruto. Also, HUGE SHOUTOUT to HiddenYori, RUNOS SISTER, Elles1995, jmdailey13, and ParrishGranger for the reviews between now and my last post. Thank you guys so much! Reviews make me really happy. Have fun reading!

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Lee and Tenten stood in front of Konoha's rehabilitation center. Tenten looked up at the building as Lee took a step towards the door. He noticed that Tenten wasn't following him, and he turned around and gave her a concerned look.

"What's wrong, Tenten?"

Tenten shook her head. "I can't do this, Lee. I just can't do it. I'm going home."

Tenten turned to walk away but Lee grabbed her hand before she could get anywhere.

Tenten turned away but Lee grabbed her hand before she could get anywhere.

"Tenten, this is not something you can keep for Gai sensei for long. He raised you and treated you like the father you never had. He deserves to know, and he needs to hear it from you."

"Ugh, why did I get stuck with such an embarrassing sensei?" Tenten mumbled as Lee dragged her into the building.

The two made their way around the building until the stood in front of a patient's room. They read the name on the door.

Maito Gai.

Lee raised a fist and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Lee opened the door and walked in, Tenten following shyly. Once Gai laid eyes on his students, his expression lit up.

"My youthful students! I am so happy to see you two. I was beginning to think that my youthful glow has been wearing and that you would never visit again. But here you are now! Oh, the wonders of youth."

Dramatic tears started to fall from Lee's eyes.

"Gai sensei, you will never be anything but a youthful spirit. I wish to someday have your strength. To be bedridden, yet still as strong and youthful as ever. Oh, Gai sensei, please teach me your ways."

Gai patted Lee's head. "This strength takes hard work and patience, but you are on your way."

Lee sniffled, choking back tears as he gazed at Gai. Gai, on the other hand, turned his attention to the girl that was slumped against the wall.

"Tenten, your appearance seems anything but youthful and radiant. What might be the matter?"

Tenten looked at her teacher with her eyes wide. By this point, Lee had stopped crying and was also staring hard at Tenten. Tenten's heart rate got faster and her breathing became sporadic. Gai noticed this and became concerned.

"Tenten, are you alright?"

"Yeah. Just fine," Tenten choked out.

Lee walked over to Tenten and gently held her hand.

"Everything is alright Tenten. Just tell him."

This gesture was extremely confusing to Gai.

"Lee, Tenten, what's going on? You guys know that you tell me if anything's wrong."

Tenten closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Gai sensei," Tenten said before pausing. "Lee and I are having a baby."

Tenten held her breath and kept her eyes closed so she could avoid seeing Gai's reaction. Silence consumed the room. The tension was thick. Tenten slowly started to open one eye only to see Gai stare at her with an expressionless face. Tenten immediately started to panic.

"Gai sensei, I'm sorry. All of this is my fault so don't blame Lee. What I did was irresponsible, but I promise to take full responsibility for my actions. I'm so, so, so, so, sorry."

Gai squinted at Tenten, staring deep into her.

"Tenten..." he finally responded.

Tenten did not reply and instead gripped Lee's hand harder.

Gai shook his head, looking down at his lap. "This is not good, not good at all..."

Tenten started to tremble as Lee gasped. Before they had a chance to say anything, Gai snapped his head up, and a spark shining in his eye.

"Being called 'Grandpa' is not youthful at all! We must think of another name for me to be called by this child, one that preserves my youth. This baby must have no aged role models in his or her life!"

Tenten was left speechless, with her mouth agape, while Lee ran to Gai's bedside, holding his hand and praising him.

"You are absolutely correct, Gai Sensei! How about Opa? Or Pawpaw? Perpa? I know! We can use traditional Japanese and call you o jiichan! How youthful and splendid! Do you agree, Tenten?"

Tenten did not speak and remained in her dumbfounded stance. This caused Gai to produce a deep laugh.

"Lee, the best way to fuel the mind is to fuel the body. Go run 100 laps around the building then come back and tell me the name you have thought of."

"Of course, Gai sensei!"

Lee took off out of the room to begin his laps. Once he was gone, Gai looked up at Tenten with a very concerned, very parental look.

"That should give us about 10 minutes. Now tell me Tenten, how are you?"

Tenten was accustom Gai's sudden mood changes. Growing up on a team with the most stoic, as well as the most energetic teenager in all of Konoha, Tenten often found herself hidden amongst the chaos of her male teammates. Because of this, Gai tailored his speech and actions individually to each of his students. For Lee, Gai was encouraging and just as energetic as the young ninja. For Neji, Gai was always firm and intense. For Tenten, Gai always spoke to her with a gentle and compassionate tone. He was always aware of her outcast status and did his best to make her feel like she belonged to his team.

Tenten gave a small smile to her teacher. "Physically, I'm great. Everything is going just the way it should and I'm the picture of perfect health. But mentally and emotionally..." Tenten's voice trailed off and looked down at the floor.

"I must admit, I'm shocked to hear that you two were reckless enough to get yourselves into this situation. But I also know that you two are also very strong, both physically and mentally, so I'm sure that there is no challenge that the two of you won't be able to overcome."

Tenten smiled. "Thank you, Gai Sensei. That really means a lot to me."

Gai's eyes hardened as he looked at Tenten. "Now do you mind telling me how this happened? Last time I checked, you were in love with Neji."

Tenten's smile faded as she looked away from Gai's gaze in embarrassment. "It just happened. We were both a mess of emotions and we just did it with no thought. I feel so bad that Lee has to be dragged into this situation."

Gai shook his head. "It takes two to tango, Tenten. This is just as much Lee's responsibility as it is yours. Don't try to take this one alone. He's there for you. I'm here for you. Don't shoulder this burden all by myself."

Tentens lips turned up into a small smile again. "Y'know, for an orphan, I have a lot of people looking out for me."

Gai chuckled. "That you do, my girl, that you do."

Gai's laughing soon faded and the hard look returned to his face.

"How are you and Lee holding up?"

Tenten knew exactly what Gai was talking about. Neji.

"It's been really hard on both of us. Almost every morning, my first thought, when I wake up, is that I'm so excited to go to the training grounds and spend time with Neji, and then, too quickly, reality floods back into me," Tenten said as a single tear fell down her face. "I can't even comprehend that he's gone. I'm never going to see him again, or touch him, or smell him. Did you know that even after a three-hour training session, he still smelled like he just got out of the shower? It was like witchcraft."

Gai let out a light chuckle. "It was very mysterious, that's for sure."

Tenten returned a smile, which quickly faded as she continued to remember her fallen teammate. Gai reached out his hand and beckoned her over to his bedside. She walked over and Gai grabbed her hands tightly.

"It's hard, I know Tenten, but remember, I'm still here. Lee's still here. Never lose heart. Even though one person from your life might no longer walk this earth, it doesn't mean that there are no longer people who care about you. I love you Tenten, and I am here for you, don't ever forget that."

A tear fells down Tenten's face as she sniffled a few times. She bent over to give her sensei a tight hug. He returned the hug, enveloping her in his strong arms. Once they pulled apart from each other, Tenten wiped her eyes while Gai stared at her.

"Now that that's been said, Tenten, I care about you but I also care about Lee. The last thing the boy needs is for his emotions to be toyed with."

Tenten looked at Gai with a confused look. He replied with a sigh.

"I know this isn't something you want to hear, and it's really something I don't want to say but I have to look out for my students."

"What do you mean, toy with his emotions?" Tenten asked, still confused by what Gai is saying.

"Tenten, it's no secret that Lee is in love with you. He has been since before the war. And it's also no secret that you are still in love with Neji. Now, I don't know how this situation came about, nor is it my business, but I do know that it's hard for two people that don't love each other to raise a child together. Your actions affect Lee, more than you know. I know you wouldn't purposefully do it, but I need you to promise me that you won't lead him on into a false reality."

Tenten nodded, a grim look on her face.

"I promise Gai sensei."

"Now then," Gai exclaimed. "Turn that frown upside down and let me feel that tummy of yours."

Tenten giggled and walked over to Gai, allowing him to place his hands on her stomach.

"I'm only three months along, Gai Sensei. You're not going to feel anything."

"Never underestimate the power of youth, my dear Tenten."

Tenten laughed. "How could I ever forget?"

Gai and Tenten were silent after that. The silence was a calm and somber one until Tenten got lost in her own thoughts. Gai noticed her blank stare and put his hand on her shoulder, giving her a concerned look.

"Is everything alright Tenten?"

Tenten paused before replying.

"No. Actually, Gai sensei, I need to tell you something. Lee isn't-"

"I have found the answer, Gai sensei!" Lee announced as he threw the door open.

"Every time I'm about to tell someone, he butts in," Tenten mumbled as she turned to look at Lee. Gai was laughing behind her.

"Enlighten me, my youthful student."

"Gai-pa!"

The room got silent. Tenten's previously grim face was replaced with a look of disgust.

"Gai-pa...?"

"It's perfect Lee!" Gai boomed.

Tenten snapped her head towards him and replied. "You can't be serious."

Gai chuckled as he continued. "It's a wonderful name. I can't wait for the little one to be running around in all his or her youthful glory."

"You are absolutely correct Gai sensei!" Lee yelled in joy.

Gai gave a few more deep laughs before turning his attention back to Tenten.

"What was it that you were going to tell me, Tenten?"

"Um... Lee and I made jonin," Tenten said, hiding what she was originally going to tell Gai.

"How wonderful!" Gai exclaimed. "It seems that my students are no longer students. With my condition, it's safe to say that you two have surpassed me."

There it was, the elephant in the room. Up until this moment, there was not a single mention of Gai's current condition. There was a sad silence before Tenten spoke up.

"You're going to be okay, right Gai sensei?"

Gai gave Tenten a forced smile as tears were forming around his eyes. He forced back those tears, not wanting his students to see him cry.

"It seems I'm going to be wheelchair bound for the rest of my life."

Lee gasped while Tenten stayed quiet.

"But Gai sensei, they said that about me after the first chunin exams and look at me now. I am sure that you will recover."

Gai shook his head. "This is different Lee. Your legs were broken in one place. The bones in my legs are completely shattered. I saw an x-ray the other day. Bone fragments all over. There's no way I can bounce back from this. It seems my time of youth has just about run dry."

No.

No.

No.

Tenten began to panic. Why was everything in her life-changing so drastically? She wanted her youthful sensei back. She didn't want Lee to wake up in the middle of the night screaming anymore. She wanted Neji back, standing right here next to her.

"No."

Surprised to hear Tenten talk, Lee and Gai turned to look at her.

"No, there's no way your time of youth is over. Sure, physically, you're nothing but an old man. But your spirit, your youth shines on there. There are joys and insight behind every word you speak, Gai Sensei. Your youthful spirit is stronger than it has ever been because you're not letting this injury keep you down. Your alive right now, and that alone can say so much about your strength and youthful dedication."

Gai remained speechless for a moment, staring at Tenten. Suddenly, he burst out into hysterical tears.

"Tenten, my youthful flower. Your words are wonderful and inspiring. I am so proud to be your teacher and to see the beautiful woman you have become."

Tentens face dropped with a disgusted look. "You're still as embarrassing as ever."

Lee hugged Gai and joined in his blubbering.

"You are absolutely correct Gai Sensei. Tenten has blossomed from your supreme, youthful teachings."

Tenten sighed. "Okay, that's about enough. I'm really sorry Gai sensei, but Lee and I really should be getting home."

Gai smiled at his students. "Of course. I'm glad to have spent this time with you. Don't make yourselves scarce in the future. I was starting to think that my students forgot me."

Tenten smiled and walked over to hug Gai. "I know I could never forget about you Gai Sensei. You're one of the most important persons in my life and you've helped me grow in so many ways. Thank you so much for everything you've done."

Gai returned her hug. "You know yours like my daughter, Tenten. I would do anything for you. Remember that."

Tenten straightened up and smiled at Gai. "I will."

Tenten and Lee traded spots. Lee reached out his hand and stood stiffly, waiting for Gai to shake his hand. Instead, Gai pulled Lee into a hug.

"Make sure to always protect this child with your life."

"I will Gai sensei."

Lee stood up straight and he and Tenten made their way to the door. Lee left the room and Tenten was about to before she turned to look at Gai.

"Hey, Gai sensei, whatever happened to the girl you told me you liked a few years ago?"

Gai gave a smile. "She's single now, actually."

"Hey, that's good. Are you going to try to get with her?"

"I don't think it's going to work between us," Gai said, his smile fading. "She's still in love with someone else."

"That's a shame."

"It might be, but like I always say, being in love is what makes a true ninja."


	15. The Pig

Guys. GUYS! So I just watched the new dubbed season of Shippuden that was just released about a week ago and it had the episode where Tenten cried because Neji died and ahhahhahahahhahahaha I cried too. Anyway... Enjoy!

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Tenten woke up to the smell of eggs being cooked. Over two months have passed since the mission to Silver Village. Since then, Konoha had experienced one snowfall, but it all quickly melted the next day. It makes sense if you consider that the village is within the Land of Fire. The weather was just beginning to climb back into the warmer temperatures, pleasing Tenten. Since her last mission, Tenten's life quickly fell back into a rut. Only this time, she was bored out of her mind.

She had friends stop by every now and then, but she always seemed to feel lonely. Gai was released from the rehabilitation center soon after Tenten told him the big news and, despite being wheelchair bound, he has been doing all he possibly can to help the village and keep busy. Because Lee was working double time to try to financially support both Tenten and himself, he was constantly away on missions. He was never gone longer than two days at a time and he hasn't taken on anything harder than C-rank. Regardless, Tenten is still a bundle of worried nerves whenever he's away. Today was a rare occasion where he was home for breakfast, having to leave later in the afternoon for his next mission.

Tenten got out of bed and walked towards the kitchen, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she walked. When she got to the kitchen, she was treated with a plate of eggs.

"Man, I am starving," she managed to say before scarfing all her food down in no time flat.

Lee chuckles at Tenten. "I am happy that your appetite is better than it has been, but you must pace yourself while you eat."

Tenten sighed and frowned. "Yeah, I know."

Lee stuck his thumb out and struck his infamous 'good guy' pose.

"But never fear, for I have prepackaged all your meals during the time I will be gone and I also took the liberty of leaving notes on the containers of when the food should be eaten."

Tenten giggles at Lee. "I can always count on you to take care of me, even when you're not here. Speaking of which, when are you leaving?"

Lee looked behind him at the clock on the wall.

"I should be leaving now, but I would like to wait until Hinata shows up to escort you to your appointment today."

"Gosh, no Lee. If you have to go, then go. I can wait by myself. It's totally fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Tenten said as she started to push Lee towards the door. On the way, Lee pick up his bag and slung it over his shoulders. He opened the door to leave and was met face to face with Ino.

She gasped. "Lee! I haven't seen you in forever. How are you doing?"

Lee didn't get a chance to answer her because she started to crush his body with a hug. The hug continued for an uncomfortably long time until Tenten cleared her throat.

"Not that I don't enjoy seeing you, Ino, but why are you at my house?"

"Oh yeah," Ino said, throwing Lee off to the side. He stumbled but regained his balance.

"Hinata's stuck at home with clan business so I'm filling in as your chaperone."

Tenten's eyebrows flattened and she replied to Ino in a monotone voice. "You know I don't need a chaperone."

"Yeah, well, too late. I'm already here. Come on, let's go. I wanna see the baby!"

Ino grabbed Tenten's hand and started pulling her out the door. Tenten looked behind her and managed to get a quick good bye in to Lee.

"Bye Lee. See you in two day. Be careful," she said with a small wave.

xxx

Tenten and Ino were waiting in a hospital room for Sakura. Tenten was sitting on the bed patiently while Ino was pacing back and forth.

"That stupid forehead girl. What's taking her so long?"

"Ino, calm down. Sakura's a really busy person. And besides, you yanked me out of my house 10 minutes before we needed to leave. You'd think that you're the one having a baby."

Ino gave a dramatic sigh. "I just can't help it. I'm so excited. You're the first one of our age group to have a kid. I'm gonna spoil her just like I do with Mirai."

"Her?" Tenten asked, raising an eyebrow.

Into winked at Tenten. "Just call it an intuition."

Tenten laughed lightly. "Well, hopefully we'll find out today if your intuition is right. Last appointment, this little guy was pretty fussy and we couldn't tell."

Tenten placed her hand on her stomach and rubbed it lightly. For the first few months, Tenten could easily hide her pregnancy, due to the fact that her wardrobe consisted of really baggy, breathable clothes. Now, being almost five months pregnant, Tenten's stomach protruded out and one could easily tell that she was pregnant.

A second later, Sakura walked through the door. Before she even got the chance to look at Tenten, Sakura glared at Ino.

"What are you doing here, pig?"

Ino dramatically gasped and placed her hand on her chest.

"Is my dear best friend saying I'm not allowed to come and support another friend?"

Ignoring Ino, Sakura looked at Tenten, silently asking for the true story.

Tenten sighed. "Hinata couldn't come today so Ino just kinda showed up at my house and dragged me here. She's been pretty wound up about seeing the baby, so I wasn't about to tell her no."

Sakura glared at Ino again. "Ino, you can't do things like that to Tenten. She needs as little stress in her life as possible, and your antics don't help."

Ino waved her hand casually at Sakura. "Yeah, whatever. Let's just get going so I can see the precious little thing."

With a final sigh, Sakura got set up and began her exam on Tenten. During the entire beginning portion of the exam, Ino stood in the background complaining, wanting Sakura to hurry up and get to the ultrasound. In the meantime, Tenten and Sakura ignored Ino and had small talk with each other. Eventually, Sakura finished writing something down, clicked her pen closed, and smiled at Tenten.

"Everything still looks great. You're gaining a little more weight than anticipated, so try to cutback a little on the portions if you can. Now, since you're in your fifth month, I want to start seeing you twice a month now, about every other week."

Tenten nodded and rolled up her shirt, ready for the ultrasound. She struggled a bit trying to get the bottom hem over her stomach, but ultimately succeeded after a minute of struggling. Sakura noticed this and looked at Tenten in concern?

"Tenten, do you have any maternity clothes yet?"

She shook her head. "I was gonna wait until Lee got back from this mission he's on, then go buy a shirt or two and a pair of pants."

Sakura's concern grew. "Really, just one or two? Don't you think you need more?"

"No, it's totally fine. I'm only going to buy what's necessary."

Ino joined Sakura in her concern for Tenten. "Tenten, if money's and issue, you know that we can help."

"I'm getting kind of tired of everyone trying to throw money at my face. I can take care of this on my own. Thanks."

Sakura reached out and lightly touched Tenten's shoulder.

"It's not that we don't think you can do it. We both know that you're more capable than anyone in the Leaf Village to handle anything thrown at you. We just feel that you deserve more luxury than you're giving yourself. Please, let us help."

Tenten kept shifting her sight between Ino and Sakura. After a short time, Tenten sighed.

"Okay. Give me a day or so to think I about it."

Sakura and Ino smiled at Tenten.

"Deal," Sakura said as she started to get Tenten ready for her ultrasound. By this point, Ino moved over to the side of the bed and hovered over Sakura as she worked. Sakura's irritation was evident but she continued working. After a few minutes, her concentrated look evolved into a large smile. Tenten quickly noticed this.

"What? What is it?"

Sakura looked at Tenten. "You're having twins."

"What?!" both Tenten and Ino said, their mouths agape.

Sakura laughed and shook her head.

"Just kidding. If you were having twins, you would've known a long time ago."

Tenten glared at Sakura. "I could get you fired for that, y'know."

"Come on, I'm just playing around. Besides," Sakura said turning the screen towards Tenten. "Don't you still want me to be your son's obstetrician?"

It took a moment for Tenten to understand what Sakura was implying. Once she realized, her eyes got wide as her head slowly turned to look at the screen.

"My son..."

Tenten continued to gaze in awe as Sakura and Ino smiled at her. A single tear fell down Tenten's face and she quickly wiped it away as she turned to look at Sakura.

"Thank you so much for everything, Sakura. You have helped me along so much."

Sakura laughed lightly. "It is my job."

"I knew that you were having a boy this whole time," Ino interjected.

Tenten looked at Ino in confusion. "You said it was a girl before Sakura was here."

"Minor details," Ino replied, flicking her hand at Tenten.

Sakura lightly hit Ino on the back of the head, trying to get her to keep quiet.

"Well, there's nothing else that needs to be done today. Just keep up everything you've been doing so far. Remember, I want to see you every other week now."

Tenten smiled, got her clothes situated back correctly on her body and she threw her legs around the side of the bed in order to stand up.

"Thanks again, Sakura. You really are a great friend."

"I know you'd do the same for me," Sakura said, walking towards Tenten to give her a hug. Once they pulled apart, Sakura glared at Ino.

"And try to keep this one in line as much as you can, okay Tenten?"

Tenten giggled. "Sure can."

Tenten grabbed Ino's hand and led her out the door.

"Come on Ino, time to escort me back home so you can go back home too."

They were both out of the room, but Sakura could still hear Ino whining in the distance.

"But Tenten, I wanna feel your tummy some more!"

* * *

It's a boy! Sorry for the short chapter. This chapter and the next one was originally one but it was really really long so I split them up. But hey... There's gonna be a quick update so...


	16. The Birthday

Sorry, that wasn't really a quick update like I promised. I'll try to be better on that in the future. Guys, college is really hard...

* * *

The next morning, Tenten awoke to a pound on her door. She rolled over to check her alarm clock, the numbers on it reading 6:00 am. She turned back over, ignoring the noise at the front of her house and tried to go back to sleep. The knocking quickly continued and she got up out of bed, walking groggily to go answer the door. She opened it and on the other side stood Ino, Hinata, and Sakura.

Tenten rubbed her eyes then glared at her friends. "This better be an emergency. In case you forgot, I'm five months pregnant and 6 am is too early of a time to be waking me up."

Ino shoved past Hinata and Sakura so she could be face to face with Tenten. "It is an emergency, a fashion emergency. You need cute maternity clothes pronto!"

Tenten pushed Ino back a little so she could have some space.

"I thought I told you guys I'd think about it before we went out. I really don't want to go, especially now."

Hinata stuck her head around Ino to talk to Tenten. "I'm really sorry that we just barged in. We were just hoping that you'd let us take you out for your birthday."

Tenten's eyebrows came together in confusion. "My birthday?"

Sakura sighed. "Earth to Tenten. Today is March 9th. Do the members of Team Gai just not celebrate birthdays or something? You guys have a habit of forgetting."

Tenten laughed shyly and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Sorry, it's really hard to lose track of the day when you have another person growing inside of you."

"Well now that it's settled," Ino said, grabbing Tenten's hand. "Let's go shopping!"

Ino started to pull Tenten out the door, but Tenten resisted.

"Can I please change out of my pajamas first?"

"Ino, let her go," Sakura said, placing her hand on Ino's arm.

Ino crossed her arms over her chest and fumed. "Fine. But hurry up. I need some new clothes too and I can't wait any longer."

Tenten rolled her eyes and walked back towards her bedroom so she could get ready for the day.

After a few minutes, Tenten came out, wearing her typical garb. She simply smiled at her friends as the four women left for their shopping adventure. The group went to three different stores and Tenten was given the instructions to try on anything she liked, and if it fit, it was hers. She was also told that she could not look at any price tags. Once the kunoichis were done at a particular store, Hinata, Ino, and Sakura would switch off paying.

By the time evening rolled around, everyone was starving for food. Hinata made the suggestion of eating at Ichiraku and the rest of the group agreed. They made their way in that direction as Tenten spoke out loud.

"Thank you guys so much, for all of this. I just wish I could repay you guys back."

Sakura turned to Tenten. "For the umpteenth time, it's all on us. You've literally saved our lives more times than we can count. You've already repaid us enough."

"Besides," Ino interjected. "Just remember that when I'm pregnant, I deserve to be pampered."

"Deserve," Sakura scuffed at Ino.

The four got to Ichiraku and ordered their food. Ino and Sakura both ate two bowls, while Hinata and Tenten chowed down. They both were on their 20th bowl of ramen before Hinata ordered another, and Tenten leaned back and rubbed her belly.

"Man. That was good. I'm stuffed."

Ino looked at Tenten with large eyes. "How in the world can you eat so much? I never knew that there was another woman in this world that could go head to head with Hinata in an eating contest."

Tenten smiled shyly. "Lee's been really on top of making meals for me and he's making sure I eat perfect portions, so baby here doesn't usually get the chance to eat his fill."

Hinata stopped slurping her soup for a moment and looked at Tenten.

"His?"

"Oh yeah! I forgot to tell you. Yesterday I found out that it's a boy."

Hinata stared at Tenten, her mouth slightly agape. Suddenly, a tear fell down her face and she reached out and clung to Tenten.

"That's so amazing! I'm so happy for you. I can't wait to see him."

Hinata pulled back and looked Tenten in the eyes with a sweet expression.

"He's going to be just like his father."

Neji. Just like Neji.

A tear fell down Tenten's face as well, and she wiped it away as she spoke.

"I really hope so."

"Come on Tenten. I love Lee and all, but do you really want your kid to have bushy eyebrows and a bowl cut just like him," Ino said, interrupting Hinata and Tenten's moment.

Tenten quickly glared at Ino, but her expression immediately softened.

"Let's hope that my son adopts Lee's drive and dedication. I do have a gut feeling that my son won't inherit too many of Lee's looks."

Hinata giggles behind Tenten. Tenten looked back and smiled at her, leaving Sakura and Ino confused about the silent exchange they are witnessing.

"Well, this day was a lot of fun and all, but unfortunately I only had one day off. I need to get back to work tomorrow and I need some sleep to function properly," Sakura said, hopping down from her stool and approaching Tenten.

"I hope you enjoy all the stuff. If you ever need anything, let me know," Sakura said before she leaned down to give Sakura a hug.

"I will, thank you so much, Sakura," Tenten said.

Ino walked over to Tenten as well. "I'm going to head out too before my mom starts to freak."

She also leaned over to give Tenten a hug. After a short exchange of goodbyes, the blond and the pinkette paid for their meals and took off, away from the ramen bar. Tenten swirled in her stool and looked at Hinata.

"If you want to, we can go to my house and hang out a little bit more."

Hinata smiled silently and nodded. The two women paid for their food and walked to Tenten's house. During the trip, the two kunoichis were silent. Tenten noticed this and gave a concerned look to Hinata. Hinata took a second to looked at her surroundings before she looked at Tenten with a wide grin.

"I can't believe I'm going to have a nephew! This is so great!"

Tenten laughed lightly at Hinata.

"Sorry, I wanted to tell you when we were alone because I knew that you'd be excited and want to talk about your new family member, but I slipped when I was talking to Ino."

Hinata smiled. "That's not a problem. I'm just so excited. I really do think he's going to be just like Neji."

Tenten gave a small smile, but it quickly faded.

"What's wrong?" Hinata asked.

"Can I really do this? What if he is exactly like Neji? I can't help but think that every time I look at my son, tears will stream down my face. I don't want my son to think I hate him."

"Oh Tenten, that's not true. You're going to be a great mother and your son will know that. There might be times when you remember Neji as you look at your son, but you need to remember that this child is a part of you and Neji. Because this child exists, Neji's will can live on."

Tenten pondered on Hinata's words and she smiled.

"You're always right Hinata."

"I wouldn't go that far..."

The two women giggled as the walked up the front porch stairs to the entrance to Tenten's house. Tenten put her house key in the lock and attempted to unlock the door, discovering that it was already unlocked.

"Huh, I thought I locked the door when I left."

Tenten pushed the door open slowly, peaking around the door, scoping the house for any intruders. Before Tenten had a chance to effectively scan the room, a flash of green approached her.

"Tenten! I am so delighted that you are back!"

Not getting a chance to process what was happening, Tenten was attacked with a tight hug by Lee. After the shock subsided, she smiled and returned the hug. When they finally pulled apart, she spoke.

"What are you doing here Lee? I thought you weren't supposed to be back until tomorrow?"

"I would never miss getting to spend time with you on your birthday, Tenten, so I worked extra hard and honed the power of youth in order to complete the mission a day earlier than expected."

Tenten took a moment to imagine the hell Lee put his mission mates through. Tenten's had her fair share of exhaustion caused by Lee's antics through the years. Tenten turned around when she heard a voice clear.

"I really enjoyed spending the day with you Tenten, but I should really get home now. I hope you have a great evening."

Tenten gave Hinata a quick hug and goodbye. Once Hinata left Lee grabbed onto Tenten's shoulders.

"I have a glorious gift for you!"

Lee ran back to the spare bedroom and returned with a gift box. He handed it to Tenten and she opened it. Inside was a large, black, fleece blanket that had a red dragon embroidered on the bottom of it. The thread used to embroider the dragon was so vibrant, Tenten could have sworn that it was crafted with strands of real gold. She looked up at Lee as a tear fell down her face.

"Lee, this is so beautiful. Where did you get this?"

"I saw it at a street vendor on my way home from the mission. There was a blue one there that looked very nice, but I did not know if your child was a boy or not, so I choose a neutral color."

Tenten smiled and rubbed her stomach. "The blue one would've been just fine."

Lee looked at Tenten with a perplexed look on his face. "It would have? But Tenten, you do not know if you are having a boy or a girl yet."

Tenten smirked, playing 'Devil's advocate' with Lee. "What? I don't know yet?"

Lee's expression never left his face, as he was still confused by what Tenten was implying. After some time passed, Tenten laughed and shook her head.

"Lee, it's a boy. I'm having a baby boy."

Lee gawked at Tenten, initially surprised by what she just said. After the shock set in, he reached out and gave her a bone-crushing hug.

"Oh Tenten, this is just wonderful. A boy, it is a boy. I cannot wait to see him running around the house. I will train him to be powerful, respectful man, just like Gai sensei."

"Lee, you're crushing both of us right now."

He quickly pulled back and muttered a nervous apology to Tenten. She, in return, reached out to hug him again, but this time with a more relaxing force.

"I know that my son will be powerful and respectful, not just like Gai sensei, but just like you too, Lee."

Though he did not say a word, Tenten noticed that Lee was sniffling, most likely holding back tears. He pulled away and Tenten noticed a single tear that fell from each eye.

"I'm so glad that we were brought together, Tenten. Living in this world as a ninja is hard, emotionally and physically. I count my lucky stars every day because no matter what happens in the future, I know I have you and now I know that I will also have your handsome son in my life, helping me through any time of struggle."

It was Tenten's turn to cry now. A tear fell down her face as she clung on to him one more time, for another hug.

"I'm so lucky to have you too, Lee."

* * *

Hope you enjoyed! Just so you guys know, I'm not a LeeTen fan. I am a card-carrying NejiTen fan, even if he's dead. I just love the tension that's brought to the story whenever Tenten and Lee act... a little bit more than just friends...


	17. The Father

I'm sooo so so so sorry for the long update. College man. I know, excuses, excuses. But since it is now winter break and I am done with first semester finals at school, I can devote a heck of a lot more time to this. My goal (it's a goal, not a promise) is to get this story with a complete icon before the new year... let's see...

* * *

"Tenten? Hey, Tenten. Wake up. It is already 10 o'clock in the morning."

Tenten stirred around in bed, mumbling as she tried to force her eyes open. Once they were open wide, she saw that the person who woke her up was no other than her teammate, Rock Lee.

She rubbed her eyes as she sat up in bed. "What are you still doing here? I thought you left for your mission already?"

"The mission was deemed an automatic success. The culprit that stole the client's belongings returned the items and turned himself in."

Tenten raised an eyebrow. "Did you still get paid?"

Lee smirked at Tenten and held up a small stack of money that he was holding in his hands.

"Hey, that's great," Tenten said with a smile. "Now you can go and find another mission to go on today and you can use this money for something nice for yourself."

"Actually, Tenten, you have an appointment with Sakura today, do you not?"

"Yeah, I do," Tenten answered skeptically.

"Hinata already came by to escort you to the hospital, but since I will be here all day, I sent her home in hopes that I could be your escort."

Lee looked down at the floor. It was obvious that he was nervous about the situation. Is it his place to go with Tenten to her appointment? He's that stand-in father, yes, but he's not the father. Tenten smiled, got out of bed, and crossed the room to give Lee a tight hug.

"Of course you can come along, Lee. I've been wanting you to come for a long time now, but you've always been so busy."

They pulled apart, but Tenten kept her hands on Lee's shoulders and smiled at him. Lee gave a small smile back but continued to stare at the ground with a glum expression on his face.

"Are you sure, Tenten? I do not want to overstep and make you uncomfortable."

Tenten let out a sigh. "Oh, Lee…"

He kept staring at the ground until Tenten grabbed onto his chin so they could face each other.

"Look at me," she said sternly. "We've been sleeping together in the same bed for almost the last 8 months. I enjoy and appreciate having you around and I've never been uncomfortable with you next to me. Got it?"

Lee stared quietly at Tenten before he smiled and gave her one last hug. After that, he left the bedroom, allowing Tenten to get ready. As she rummaged around her room, trying to find suitable clothing for the day, she stumbled upon the blanket that Lee got her the other day. She held it up to admire the embroidered dragon on it.

Ever since she was a little girl, she always had a fascination with Chinese culture, despite the fact that she was Japanese. When she was a child, after spending most of the day at the academy, she would go to the library and read fiction books from Chinese folklore. Her favorite story was always the story of the dragon princess.

In the story, a beautiful princess gets turned into a dragon and she must find a way to change back to the way she was. As far as Tenten was concerned, being a dragon was the coolest thing ever. After she read that story, she identified more and more with it each day. All the girls at the academy were too concerned with acting like a princess, trying to get Neji's attention. All Tenten was concerned with was becoming the strongest she could possibly be, like a dragon. Isn't it ironic that Neji ended up falling for the dragon and none of the princesses?

Tenten smiled as she gazed at the blanket one last time. She pulled it close to her chest and embraced it, almost feeling the radiating love Lee put into it. She walked across the hall to the nursery and draped the blanket over the crib, the dragon facing out for all to see.

The nursery was all set up and ready to go, minus the baby. Every day that Lee has been home, since the mission to Ame, he has worked hard on bringing the nursery up to par. Since both Lee and Tenten are living off of one person's income, Lee decided that it would be much more affordable to build all the furniture for the nursery himself. With help from Shikamaru and some other friends, Lee crafted a beautiful cherry wood nursery set, including a crib, changing table, dresser, bookshelf and even a rocking chair.

Seeing all the work that Lee's done always makes Tenten feel guilty. Per Sakura's request, Tenten is allowed to walk around but cannot partake in any activity that could be more strenuous. She tried many times to help out Lee, despite being basically bedridden. This included attempting crafts such as sewing and knitting, which Tenten failed miserably at. She was never one for small motor skills.

Tenten left the nursery and went into the kitchen to see Lee finishing his breakfast. Not having much time left before they have to leave, Tenten simply grabbed a banana to eat quickly. She plopped down at the kitchen table and started to eat her snack.

"I am so ready for the baby to get out of me."

"Tenten, you must be patient and wait for your child to grow to his full strength under your protection."

Tenten smiled at Lee. "You always know what to say to make me smile."

Lee turned to look at her and tried to mimic a courtly gentleman with a bow. Tenten giggled in response.

"Are we ready to leave?" Lee asked once Tenten's laughter stopped.

Tenten shover the last piece of her banana into her mouth and stood up as she swallowed. She looked at Lee and nodded her head and the two ninjas took out the door.

xxx

Tenten opened the door to her designated hospital room and made her way to the bed, wanting to make herself comfortable. As she was getting situated, Lee slowly and quietly entered the room behind her and stood against the wall, right next to the door.

After Tenten was comfortable lying on the bed, she looked up at Lee and giggled.

"You can come stand by me, y'know."

Lee's eyebrows went up as he slowly approached Tenten's bedside. Once he got close enough, Tenten grabbed his hand and placed it on her stomach. At first, Lee tried to resist and tried to pull his hand back, but Tenten's hand had a tight grip on top of his. Lee quickly calmed down when he felt a burst of pressure on the palm of his hand. He stared at Tenten's and his own hand before he looked at Tenten's face.

"Was that…?" Lee asked silently.

Tenten smiled brightly at Lee. "He's kicking. That's my baby kicking. Our baby."

Lee had a grim expression on his face as he spoke to Tenten.

"But Tenten, why would-"

"Um, am I interrupting something?"

Tenten and Lee jolted and looked over at the door to see Sakura standing in the room. She had an eyebrow raised, perplexed by the scene in front of her.

Lee jumped a few feet away from Tenten's bed, yanking his hand away in the process. Tenten gave him a sad look before addressing Sakura.

"You weren't interrupting. I'm all ready to start."

Sakura nodded and walked farther into the room, ready to start Tenten's check-up. As she worked, she looked at Lee and smiled.

"It's nice to see you here, Lee. It only took about eight months, but I'm glad to see you here."

Lee's face turned pink as he looked at the ground.

"My mission for today was canceled so I felt it was best to accompany Tenten today."

Sakura gave Lee a confused look, wondering why he was acting so strange. She turned to look at Tenten, hoping to get some answers from her.

Tenten gave a light laugh. "He's a little nervous. Give him some time."

Sakura nodded and continued. When she was finished with everything, she wrote things down in Tenten's files and smiled up at Lee.

"I'm told that you've been taking really good care of Tenten. I gotta say, it's really paid off. She is in perfect health, and so is your baby. They're both really lucky to have you."

"Um, thank you. Anything for Tenten," Lee stammered, continuing to gaze down at the floor.

Sakura gave an annoyed sigh and started to get the ultrasound hooked up. When Tenten saw what Sakura was doing, she beckoned Lee over.

"Lee! Come over here. This is the best part."

Lee slowly approached Tenten's side once again. Sakura began he work on Tenten's stomach, her eyes focused on the screen. Soon after, Sakura's posture relaxed and the image of a baby came up on the screen. Tenten gave a small gasp of delight and turned to watch Lee's expression.

Lee was simply in awe of the sight in front of him. There it was, Tenten's son, right in front of him. This is the baby that has been growing in Tenten for the last eight months. The baby created by Neji and Tenten.

Tenten noticed that Lee's expression started to fall, so she took his hand in her own. This time, he did not struggle to get free from her grip, but he did give her a shocked look.

Tenten smiled brightly at Lee. "There he is. That's our baby."

Lee looked up at the screen again, holding tightly to Tenten's hand. "Our baby…"

Sakura smiled at the two shinobi before she spoke up.

"Well, we're all done with everything today. If you'd like, I can print you a picture of your ultrasound."

Tenten looked at Sakura, her eyes beaming with excitement. "Yes, I'd really appreciate it."

"Great, just give me one minute."

Tenten nodded at Sakura as she left the room. Tenten then turned her body towards Lee, holding her hands in front of her. Lee quickly jumped into action, knowing that she wanted help standing up out of bed. Once she got her feet steady on the floor, Tenten smiled and Lee and gave him a hug.

"Thank you for coming with me today."

Lee was frozen at first but soon wrapped his arms around Tenten in return.

"I am very happy that I could come and experience this moment with you."

Tenten pulled back from the hug, raised herself up on the tips of her toes and gave Lee a kiss on the cheek. Lee's eyes went wide in response and he placed his hand on the spot that Tenten's lips were previously at. Before he had a chance to question Tenten, Sakura appeared in the room again.

"Here you are, your baby boy's first picture," Sakura said, handing Tenten a small photo. Tenten observed the picture quickly before she gave Sakura a hug.

"Thank you, Sakura for all your help."

"Not a problem, anything for a friend. Remember, your due date is coming up fast. Just keep up everything that you've been doing and everything should be smooth until then. I do want to start seeing your every week now, so make sure Hinata knows."

"I'll make sure to tell her. Thank you again," Tenten said as she began her trek out of the hospital, Lee following close behind.

xxx

Once Tenten and Lee got to Tenten's house, Lee opened the door and allowed to Tenten to walk in first. She walked a direct path to the couch in the middle of the living room and sat down.

"Man, you really take things like the ability to walk for granted. I feel like I've been on my feet for hours."

She proceeded to take off her shoes and wrap herself in a blanket to get her comfortable before Tenten she grabbed a book from the side table to read.

Lee walked over to the couch and sat down next to Tenten, but he sat straight up, obviously tense and nervous. Tenten noticed this and set her book on her lap.

"Is everything alright Lee?"

Lee did not make eye contact with Tenten as he spoke. "Why did you say 'our baby' when we were at the hospital today. I am not the father of this child, so it is not mine."

Tenten's expression saddened. "But you are the father Lee."

"No," Lee said, shaking his head. "Neji is. I could never replace Neji, nor would I want to. This baby is not mine, it is his."

Tenten reached out and grabbed both of Lee's hands on her own. This caused Lee to turn his head to look at her.

"Lee, I know better than anyone else that what you're saying isn't true. Sure, biologically, this baby shares DNA with Neji, but DNA doesn't make a father. Love, support, and care are what makes a father. Gai sensei and I aren't related by blood but he is the only man in this world that I would ever recognize as my father because he is the one that raised me."

Lee looked down, unconvinced by Tenten's words. In response, Tenten placed her hands around Lee's neck, pulling his face up to look at her.

"You said yourself that you were going to raise this child. You are his father. This is OUR baby, Lee. Please, don't ever doubt that."

Lee pondered for a few moments, but he eventually smiled and gave Tenten a hug. After he pulled back, he brought her hand up to his face and kissed the top of it.

"I apologize for acting strangely. You are absolutely correct and I promise no longer to doubt you."

Tenten smiled brightly at Lee. "I'm glad. Now, could you possibly make me something for lunch? I am starving."

Lee smiled back at Tenten, standing up from the couch. "Anything for my m'lady."

* * *

Again, I am not a LeeTen fan and I can promise that they'll never get together in my stories. I just need some drama to drive the story.


	18. The Competition

"Oh my gosh! And what happened after that?"

Hinata and Tenten were sitting together on Tenten's couch, chatting, and eating lunch at home. Once Tenten hit the eighth-month mark of her pregnancy, Hinata made it a habit to stop by Tenten's house or send someone to stop by. Though Tenten fought against it at first, she admitted to herself that the last month of her pregnancy has been the hardest, and she finds herself a lot lonelier than she would ever admit.

While she was there, Hinata asked how Tenten's visit to the hospital was yesterday. Tenten remained unfazed relaying the events to Hinata, while Hinata was overcome and giddy with excitement. Tenten gave Hinata a confused look before answering.

"He got me some lunch like I asked, and we watched a movie and he left for his mission. What were you thinking happened?"

Hinata's smile faded slightly. "It just seemed like you two got a lot closer to one another yesterday and I was kind of hoping that something sparked between you two."

Tenten stared at Hinata for a moment before bursting out laughing. After laughing hysterically for over a minute, Tenten tried to catch her breath and wiped a tear from her eye.

"You think something sparked between Lee and me? That's not going to happen anytime in the near future. I have way too much to focus my attention on. I don't have time to get caught in some silly romance with my teammate."

Hinata looked at Tenten, her eyes clearly showing a pity towards Lee. Tenten quickly noticed this and sighed.

"Look, I'm not saying that Lee and I are never going to get together, but I can promise you that right now, I feel nothing romantic towards him. I am so grateful that he is in my life and that he's willing to take care of me, but all I feel towards him is platonic and brotherly. Did I kiss him on the cheek and hold his hand, yeah, sure, I did, but siblings do that."

Tenten paused for a moment and narrowed her eyes at Hinata in confusion. "Siblings do stuff like that, right?"

Hinata gave Tenten a skeptical look before answering Tenten. "Yeah, I've kissed Hanabi's cheek and held her hand plenty of times, but never with Neji. I mean, it is Neji we're talking about, but I just have this gut feeling that it's not normal for a man and a woman to act like that with each other without something romantic between them."

Tenten sighed once more and slumped into the couch. She brought both her hands up to her face and groaned loudly. Hinata did nothing more than stared at Tenten with a look of sorrow on her face. Once Tenten was done groaning, she brought her hands to her side and looked up at the ceiling as she spoke.

"This is exactly what Gai sensei warned me about. I'm leading Lee. That's so not fair of me. He doesn't deserve his heartstrings pulled around like that. Gosh, I'm such an idiot."

Hinata laid her hand on Tenten's shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up about it. You're pregnant and your hormones are out of whack right now. Just tell Lee your true intentions and apologize for leading him on. I'm sure he'll be totally understanding and everything will be fine from then on."

"You think?" Tenten asked, still slumped down on the couch.

"I'm sure of it," Hinata said with a smile.

Tenten smiled back at her and held her hands out, silently asking for Hinata to help her up off the couch. Hinata got up from her seat and helped Tenten stand. After she gained her balance, Tenten started to clear the dinnerware from the coffee table. Before she got a chance to put the plates in the kitchen, the front door burst open and startled both Tenten and Hinata. Before Tenten had a chance to register what was happening, she was face to face with Lee as he was shaking her by her shoulders.

"Tenten, Lady Tsunade asked me to summon you immediately. I do not know why she needs you, but I am sure that it is something important."

Tenten rolled her eyes and knocked Lee's hands off her shoulders. "Okay, let's calm down for a second. You can't just knock the door down and start sputtering non-sense at me. Are you finished with your mission?"

Lee stood up straight and gave Tenten thumbs up. "I have successfully completed the village security watch for last night affairs."

"That's good," Tenten said, smiling at Lee. "Now, did Tsunade say anything else when she sent you to get me?"

"She did not. All she told me was that she needed to see you urgently."

Tenten groaned. "I really don't want to walk all the way to the Hokage's office. Do I really have to go?"

Hinata placed a hand on Tenten's shoulder. "I really think this might be important. I can walk there with you if you'd like."

Tenten spent a moment looking at both Hinata and Lee. She eventually sighed and spoke. "Alright then, let's go. Can't keep the Hokage waiting."

"Wonderful! I will leave now and do some pushups while I wait for you there," Lee said before taking off, out of the house.

Tenten reached her hand out, hoping to grab Lee before he left, but failed in her attempt.

"So much for trying to apologize to him."

xxx

When Tenten and Hinata arrived at the Hokage's office, Tenten raised her hand to knock on the door. She waited for Tsunade's call before entering. Both women stood in front of the Hokage's desk, Hinata bowing fully to Tsunade and Tenten attempting a bow, but failing due to her large stomach.

Tsunade smiled. "Ah yes, Tenten. I have something very important. Please follow me. Hinata, you may come along as well."

Tsunade quickly got up from her seat and she made her way out of the office, Shizune following closely behind. Tenten gave Hinata a look of confusion. Hinata responded by gesturing for Tenten to follow Tsunade out the door.

Tsunade walked around the Hokage's tower for quite some time before she started to lead Tenten and Hinata downstairs.

"Isn't their secret things down here, like an encryption machine and forbidden scrolls? Why are we going down here?" Tenten asked, beginning to get worried.

Tsunade looked back and smirked at Tenten. "I guess you'll just have to wait and see."

Tenten gave a puzzled look to Hinata, but Hinata held a finger to her lips, also wanting Tenten to wait and see what lied ahead.

The four women finally arrived at a door somewhere in the basement. Tsunade opened the door and walked into the room. Shizune, Tenten, and Hinata followed, noticing that the room was pitch black. Tsunade reached beside her and turned on the light. Suddenly, many people jumped up, surprising Tenten.

"Surprise!"

In the room stood all of Tenten's friends and loved ones. Lee, Sakura, Naruto, Sai, Shino, Kiba, Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Kurenai, Mirai, Hanabi, Konohamaru, Moegi, Udon, Kakashi, Yamato, and Gai. Tenten continued to look around, shocked until Hinata placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What's going on?" Tenten stammered

"Lee organized this entire baby shower just for you," Hinata replied with a smile.

Lee slowly approached Tenten as tears formed in her eyes. She closed the distance between them and gave him a tight hug.

"This is amazing Lee. I really don't deserve this."

"I believe that you do. You have helped everyone here in this room more than you realize."

Tenten smiled brightly and gave Lee one more hug. Once they pulled apart, Ino ran over to Tenten and grabbed her hand.

"Enough blubbering. Time for you to open your presents."

xxx

"I had no clue that there was a banquet hall in the basement of the Hokage's tower," Tenten said, leaning towards Hinata.

"There are tall tales that you can find virtually anything you could want in the Hokage's tower. I've even heard that the Second Hokage kept his own morgue here."

Both Hinata and Tenten shivered, thinking about that possibility. As the evening commenced, everyone disbursed to his or her own area in the room. Many people were chatting with one another and nearly everyone was drinking and having a merry time. As Tenten opened gifts, with the help of Hinata, she sent her thanks to the giver of the gift.

Before Tenten opened her next gift, she looked over at Hinata. "Man, I'm getting really thirsty. Could you possibly get me something to drink?"

Rather than Hinata getting Tenten something to drink, Lee appeared behind Tenten, holding a glass of water.

"I presumed that you would be thirsty, so I came prepared with some purifying water to help quench your thirst," Lee claimed, giving Tenten a small, gentleman-like bow.

Tenten smiled and took a sip of the water before setting it on the table next to her. She looked up at Lee and had a stern look on her face.

"Hey, Lee, there's something I really want to talk to you about," she said before looking around. "In private, preferably."

"Why, of course," Lee said before helping Tenten out of her seat and leading her to an empty corner of the room.

"What is it that you needed to speak about?" Lee asked.

Tenten looked at the floor as she talked. "I wanted to apologize for how I acted yesterday. It seemed that I let my emotions get the best of me and I shouldn't have treated you like that."

Lee looked at Tenten in confusion. "I do not understand what it is you mean, Tenten."

Tenten lifted her head to look at Lee. "Gai Sensei told me not to lead you on and that's exactly what I did yesterday. I appreciate all you do for me and I do love you, Lee, but no more than as a brother. I know you had feelings for me in the past, and you still might have them, but I want you to know that I don't return those feelings. If any of my actions yesterday told you otherwise, I'm really sorry for the miscommunication."

Lee's only reply was a quiet, "Oh."

Tenten placed her hands on Lee's cheeks, forcing him to look at her. "We're teammates, Lee. Don't ever forget that. I would give my life for you, just as I know you would for me. I still love you with all my heart, even if it is as a brother. I really hope that you're not mad at me and that I didn't ruin our friendship by acting so stupid yesterday."

Lee shook his head and smiled at Tenten. "I could never be mad at you, and I also love you, as a sister. I accept your apology and forgive you. I am aware that being pregnant causes your hormones to be unbalanced, causing you to act differently than you normally would. You have ruined nothing."

Tenten smiled at Lee. "Thank you so much," she said before giving him a hug.

Lee returned the hug and looked into her eyes after pulling apart. "Please, if you would, open my gift next."

"Lee, you've already done so much for me. You didn't have to get me anything."

Lee ignored Tenten and dragged her back to her seat near the wrapped gifts. As Lee looked around for his gift, Hinata got Tenten's attention.

"Did you talk to him about yesterday?"

Tenten nodded. "Yeah, I did. He took it really well and it seems things are back to the way they were between us."

"That's good," Hinata said with a smile. Both she and Tenten turned their heads to look at Lee when he returned, bearing a gift.

"For you, my dear Tenten."

"No matter how many times I tell you I don't need anything, I know you'd still make me open it."

"That is correct," Lee responded with a short nod. This caused Hinata to giggle and Tenten to roll her eyes. Tenten then turned her attention to the gift in front of her and she started to unwrap it. Once all the wrapping paper was removed, she used her large stomach as a table and opened up the unwrapped box. Inside were two kunai, both having an engraving that reads "Team Gai: Maito Gai, Neji Hyuga, Rock Lee, Tenten." The kunai was made of steel and shined brightly in the light. She took one out of the box to admire. She turned it around in her hands many times before she looked up at Lee.

"Lee, these are beautiful. Where did you get these?"

"From Io at the Konoha Weapons Lab. He immediately recognized your name when wrote down the engravings. This kunai is not the greatest for fighting, but I was hoping that you would keep it with you as a keepsake to remember our team."

After Lee was done talking, he rummaged through his pouch and pulled out an identical kunai. "I have already given Gai Sensei his."

Tenten looked down at the extra kunai in the box. "So is this one for…"

Tenten started to get choked up and was unable to finish her sentence. Despite this, Lee knew what Tenten was going to ask and answered for her.

"I trust your decision on what to do with it. I was going to take it to the Hyuga compound and give it to Lord Hiashi to hold on to, but I thought maybe it would be better if you gave it to your son."

By this point, slow streams of tears were falling down Tenten's face. She placed the box and the kunai at her side and held her arms out in front of her. Lee walked up to her, knowing that she wanted a hug. He wrapped his arms around her, giving her a tight hug. When he pulled back, Tenten began wiping the tears from her face.

"These are so beautiful, Lee. Thank you so much."

Lee smiled brightly at Tenten. "You are very welcome."

From her side, Tenten heard Hinata clap her hands together. "There's one more gift and that would be mine."

Hinata got up from her seat and went to grab her gift. She then handed it to Tenten and eagerly waited at Tenten opened it. Once she was finished opening the box, Tenten pulled out a stuffed panda bear toy.

"Oh wow, how cute," Tenten said.

"That was actually Neji's toy when he was a baby."

Tenten snapped her head over to Hinata after hearing what she said.

"What? Really?"

"Mmmhmm," Hinata said nodding. "I was pretty hard to track it down, but with Father's help, I was able to find it. He carried that around the compound with him up until he graduated from the academy, pretending to protect it from danger. I'm sure if he were still here and heard me, he'd deny everything. It was so cute to watch him. After he got placed on your team he put the panda on a shelf in his room. I asked him one day what caused the sudden change and he said that he had another panda he had to protect."

"Me," Tenten said as she looked at the stuffed toy in her hand. Tenten began to cry again, but the tears were much heavier than they were before. She used all of her strength to stand up and walked over to Hinata to give her a hug as well.

"Thank you so much, Hinata. You have no idea how much this means to me. I know that my son will love it just as much as Neji did."

Tenten sniffled many times as Hinata smiled and returned Tenten's hug. As Lee watched the scene in front of him, he began to feel a tightness in his stomach. Concerned that he was becoming sick, he went over to the bar to get something to drink. As he waited for his drink, someone slapped a hand on his back.

"What's the long face for? You're gonna be a daddy. Shouldn't you be celebrating?"

Lee looked over to see Kiba sitting at the bar, clearly intoxicated.

Lee sighed and replied to Kiba. "I am feeling a pain in my stomach and I am worried that I am getting sick."

Kiba laughed obnoxiously. "I think that you're jealous buddy."

"What do you mean?" Lee asked shocked.

"Oh, I know, I saw everything. Tenten's is giving you the cold shoulder, giving her attention to everyone but you. Women, let me tell you…"

Lee shook her head. "I believe you are partially right, Kiba. I am slightly frustrated that even though Neji is gone, I am still always competing with him like I have had to do since we were children. It seems that he will always be there, taking an opportunity to get the upper hand on me."

Kiba slapped Lee's back once again. "That sucks man, I know exactly how you feel. All these guys keep coming and taking all the pretty ladies right from under me. It's sick, let me tell you. But y'know what? I think you need to stand up for yourself. Tell the world who you are. 'I am Rock Lee and I am better than Neji Hyuga could ever be."

Kiba held up the glass he was drinking from as he exclaimed. Lee gave him an uncomfortable look after his drunken speech.

"I do not think that I would ever be able to get enough courage to say that."

Kiba slid over the glass that he was drinking out of, offering a sip to Lee. Lee stared at the glass, deep in thought.

"This will help you get the courage, promise."

"I do not think it would be good for me to drink this, Kiba."

"Ah, nah, it's totally fine buddy. Just one sip, it won't do anything bad to you."

Lee gave one last glance to Kiba before he picked up that glass and took a sip of the drink. Lee pulled the glass down from his lips and looked off into the nothingness in the distance. Not a moment later, Lee returned to glass to his lips and chugged that rest of the liquid down his throat.

Kiba laughed hard, throwing an arm over Lee's shoulder.

"Atta boy, that's how you do it."


	19. The Drunk

Eah, not my proudest chapter. I'll make sure to update quickly on this one.

* * *

Tenten was sitting in her chair and laughing, surrounded by Hinata and a few other Konoha women when Lee approached her.

"Oh, there you are. I was wondering where you went. Hinata's sharing stories from when Neji was a kid. You should hear some of them, they are so cute."

Lee huffed. "Stupid Neji."

Tenten gave Lee a baffled look. With Hinata's help, she stood up and walked over to Lee. She placed a hand on his forehead.

"Are you okay? You look really red. You don't feel hot, though."

Lee groaned and slapped Tenten's hand away from his face. Tenten took a step back, confused by Lee's actions. Then, Lee grabbed the chair that Tenten was previously sitting in and stood on top of it, nearly losing his balance in the process. Once he was standing straight on the chair, he proclaimed loudly "I am Rock Lee and I am better than Neji Hyuga could ever be."

By this point, everyone in the room had their attention on the commotion Lee was creating. Tenten quickly pinpointed the cause of Lee's strange actions.

"Oh my God, are you drunk?!"

Lee only response was a stumble as he almost fell off the chair. As he stumbled, Tenten ran to him to help keep him up. When Lee saw the Tenten was near him, he got down from the chair and grabbed hard onto Tenten's shoulders, causing her winced in pain.

"My beautiful Tenten, I am in love with you and I demand that you and I become boyfriend and girlfriend," Lee said, slurring his words.

Tenten struggled underneath Lee's hold. "Lee, knock it off. You're acting like a crazy person."

Lee ignored Tenten and continued his rant. "Neji is always in my way and now that he is gone, I can have you all to myself."

Tenten was stunned silent. Hinata put her hand on Lee's arm and tried to reason with him.

"Lee, I really think you should go outside and get some fresh air."

Lee, still ignoring his surroundings, leaned forward and kissed Tenten hard on the lips. Tenten struggled and tried to get out of Lee's grip, but he was holding on to her tightly. Tenten slammed her fists against Lee's chest and made many attempts to kick him, but she was subdued by Lee's strength. Tenten felt so much pain on her shoulders from Lee squeezing them, that she almost did not notice with Lee tried to force his tongue into her mouth.

Soon after, but not soon enough as far as Tenten was concerned, Lee was pulled off of her. Tenten stumbled back and was caught by Hinata and Sakura before she had the chance to fall down. She was shaking and looked up at Lee similar to how a dog would look after being kicked.

Lee, on the other hand, was wrestling against Naruto and Shikamaru as the two of them held him back, away from Tenten. The entire time he was struggling, he was also shouting nonsense.

"What are you doing? I want to kiss my girlfriend. Why can't I kiss my girlfriend?"

"Dude, she's not your girlfriend. You need to wake up," Shikamaru yelled into Lee's ear.

"Let me go!" Lee shouted, succeeding in getting out of Shikamaru and Naruto's grip. Once he got loose, he ran towards Tenten as she cowered in fear. Before he had a chance to get to her, he suddenly found that he could not move. Not a moment later, Naruto, Sai, Choji, and Kakashi were holding him on, in addition to Shikamaru keeping him steady with his shadow possession. Sakura approached Lee from behind and stuck a needle pointed syringe into his shoulder, causing him to get knocked out immediately. The four men held onto Lee until they were sure that he was out. After that, Naruto approached Lee and slung both his arms over his shoulders. He then looked up at Tenten and gave her a sad expression before speaking.

"I'm going to take him with me to my place, let him cool off a bit. Is that okay with you?"

Tenten nodded slowly, her eyes still wide in shock. Everyone in the room watched as Naruto carried Lee out of the room. Once the two left, everyone turned to look at Tenten. She was still shaking and she had her arms protectively covering her pregnant belly. Gai slowly brought his wheelchair around so he could look at Tenten.

"Tenten, are you okay?"

Tenten looked around and noticed for the first time that everyone was staring at her. She stood up straight causing Hinata and Sakura to loosen their grip on her sides. Next, she gave her sensei an obviously forced smile.

"Yeah, I'm good. I'm really tired suddenly. Thank you all for coming. I wish I could stay longer, but I think I should head home."

She turned and started to make her way towards the door.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Hinata asked.

Tenten turned and gave yet another pained smile.

"I'll be fine. Really guys. Thank you all so much," Tenten said before she made her exit out of the room.

Everyone was quiet and afraid to speak after she left until Gai's voice filled the room.

"Now who in their right mind gave Lee alcohol?"

Shino pushed up his glasses and spoke quietly. "Why don't you ask the guy who hasn't left the bar since he got here."

Gai and the rest of the room's occupants turned their attention to the bar, seeing Kiba gulp down another glass of liquor. When he noticed that all eyes were on him, he turned to his friends with a confused look on his face.

"What? Why's everyone looking at me?"

xxx

Tenten woke up the next morning as the sun rays shone through her window. She sat up on her bed and stretched her arms into the air, yawning at the same time. She smiled to herself as she placed her hand on her belly.

"Good morning baby."

It took her a few minutes to get out of bed, but once her feet were balanced on the floor, Tenten showered and got ready for that day. She went to the kitchen once she was finished and opened the refrigerator, looking for a breakfast meal that Lee packaged for her. She found nothing in the refrigerator and the memories of yesterday's events came flooding back into her mind. There was no food prepared in the refrigerator because Lee passed out at Naruto's house after his drunken scene.

Tenten shut the door to the refrigerator and stared into space with a glaze over her eyes. As she recalled what happened to her the night before her, she experienced all the emotions she felt, all over again. Confusion, anger, fear. All shinobi are taught at a young age to suppress fear, so the emotion was foreign to her. She suddenly found that she couldn't move and she felt a tense pain throughout her entire body. It was the first time in her life that she truly felt weak, unable to protect herself.

There was a knock on Tenten's front door that startled her and brought her thoughts back to reality. She walked over to the door and placed her hand on the doorknob, prepared to open the door. Before she could open the door, she second-guessed her decision. What if it was Lee on the other side of the door? What would he say to her? Would he try to attack her again? Who's to know if all the alcohol was out of his system or not?

Tenten pulled her hand back to her side as she shouted.

"Who is it?"

"It's Naruto."

Tenten paused before she replied. "Is Lee with you?"

"No, it's just me."

Tenten reached out and opened the door, allowing Naruto to enter her house. He took a few steps forward before he spoke.

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine, I guess."

"Tenten, please tell me how you are, honestly."

Tenten stared blankly at Naruto, debating whether to keep up her facade or break down and tell him how she's really doing. Before she had a chance to decide, Naruto's voice filled the room again.

"Lee's a mess, y'know."

Tenten's eyebrows knitted together as Naruto continued.

"He woke up a few hours ago. He's hungover as hell, but he's completely sober. He couldn't remember anything from yesterday, so I brought him up to speed. After I told him everything, he burst out into tears. I really think it was the first time I saw him cry out of sadness."

Tenten kept quiet, listening attentively to what Naruto had to say.

"He's a mess Tenten, he really is. He's also really sorry. I know that what he did to you and what he said was unacceptable, but he really thinks that you'll never speak to him again. It's really breaking him apart."

Tenten finally made her entrance into the conversation. "So you just expect me to forget everything and accept his apology, no questions asked?"

"No, I don't expect you to do that, but I do wish that you'd talk to him. You both lost Neji, a best friend, a brother. I know that neither of you can bear to lose each other."

Tenten turned her head to look at the ground. She took some time to think before she picked her head up to look at Naruto.

"Do you really think that what he said is what he truly believed? That I was nothing more than a prize he got if he beat Neji?"

Naruto looked away in thought, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I think that the alcohol made a bit of a misunderstanding out of his words, but I do think that he sees Neji as an obstacle, even still. Lee's never been truly happy because he's always been competing with Neji in one way or another, Neji always winning. It's like Kakashi-sensei and 'Bushier Brows'-sensei, except Lee doesn't see the competitions as fun, but instead a burden. He still has to compete with Neji for your attention even when Neji's not here anymore. He doesn't think of you as a simple prize. He cherishes you and wants nothing more than for you to see him in his own light, not Neji's shadow."

Tenten looked at Naruto for many seconds before she closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh.

"Alright, let's go to your house and I'll talk to him. I can't promise that I won't kick his ass, though."

Naruto smiled at Tenten with a chuckle. "Don't you worry, I already gave him a good ass whooping when he first woke up. I think it REALLY helped his hangover along."

* * *

So this chapter originally had Shikamaru taking Lee to his house but I remembered that someone wrote a review saying that Naruto hasn't had much presence, even though he promised to watch over Tenten, and I totally agree. So... here's your daily dose of Big Brother Naruto. You're welcome.


	20. The Departure

Naruto and Tenten approached Naruto's house later that morning, both of them taking the steps up to his small living quarters. Naruto walked up to the front door and unlocked it, going into his house with Tenten following behind.

"Hey, 'Bushy Brows!' I have someone here that wants to see you."

Naruto was answered with silence. Confusion ran over him as he quickly checked the only two rooms in his house to see if Lee was hidden somewhere. Unable to find him, Naruto walked up to Tenten.

"I have no clue where he could be."

Tenten also gave a confused look and began to look around. It was then that she spotted a note on the kitchen table. She walked over to the table and picked up the note to read it. She read it out loud so Naruto was also able to hear the contents of the letter.

"Naruto, I apologize for having to leave so suddenly, but I have been summoned for a mission. Lady Tsunade did not give me many details on the mission. she simply said that it is S-Rank and it is something that needs to be taken care of urgently. I do not know when I will be back, but hopefully, it will be before Tenten's due date. Please apologize to her for me once again for my actions yesterday. I still cannot believe that I was able to be so far out of my frame of mind that I was able to do that to her. Please tell her not to worry about me and to take good care of her baby. Thank you so much for your kindness, Naruto. Rock Lee."

Tenten started to choke up as she read the letter. Le was away on an S-Rank mission and she was going to be having a baby in two weeks, a baby that he was the father of. Tenten's eyes went wide once she finished reading and she started to hyperventilate.

"Oh no, oh god no. He's going to die. Lee's going to die on this mission and I'm going to be alone with a brand new baby and both my best friends will be gone forever. I can't do this Naruto, I just can't."

Naruto grabbed onto Tenten's shoulders and lightly shook her, gaining her attention.

"Calm down Tenten. Lee is so much stronger than you're giving him credit for. He'll come back safe and sound, ready to take care of your son with you."

"How do you know that? What if he was sent on a suicide mission?"

Naruto smiled at Tenten. "Well, we could always ask the one person that knows the answer to that question."

xxx

There was a knock on the door of the Hokage's office. Before Tsunade had a chance to answer whoever was on the other side of the door, the door burst wide open and Naruto ran in. After seeing who intruded into her office, Tsunade closed her eyes and tensed up in anger.

"What are you doing Naruto? We've discussed you just bursting into my office. You need to wait for me to answer. I could have been filling out confidential paperwork."

Before Naruto could reply, Tenten stepped out from behind Naruto and timidly spoke.

"Lady Tsunade, I was wondering if you could tell me about the mission you sent Lee on."

Tsunade glared at Tenten. "Tenten, you know that mission information is classified. I don't know why the two of you think you can galavant around the tower and break all the rules, but it needs to stop."

Tenten began to feel anger that matched Tsunade's. She pulled herself out from behind Naruto and took a step towards Tsunade's desk.

"Lee's child is going to be born in two weeks, possibly sooner, so why did you send him away on an S-Rank mission? Do you really expect me to go through labor and start taking care of a brand new child without the help of the child's father?"

Tsunade slammed her hands down on her desk and stood up, leaning her body towards Tenten.

"I don't know who you think you are Tenten, but you may not barge into the Hokage's office and demand things of me. There are rules that need to be kept to protect EVERYONE'S well being. I told you before about letting this baby get in the way of your duty as a shinobi. Both you and Lee made a promise to first and foremost, protect this village until your dying breath. If you no longer feel that way, I am more than willing to approve your resignation papers right now."

Tenten flinched at Tsunade's words. She opened her mouth, ready to apologize, but Naruto beat her to the chopping block.

"What the heck, Granny? Don't you have any empathy at all? Tenten's just a 19-year-old girl and you're going to make her go through giving birth all by herself?"

Tenten placed her hand lightly on Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto, it's fine. I really don't want to anger anyone. Let's just go home."

Naruto gave one last scuff towards Tsunade before he and Tenten turned and proceeded to walk out of Tsunade's office. Before they left the room, Tsunade spoke.

"Tenten, wait."

Tenten stopped in her tracks and turned back around to look at Tsunade. Tsunade closed her eyes and gave a heavy sigh before giving Tenten a look of pity.

"Lee was sent to the Hidden Sound Village. There were reports of all kinds of attacks there, for unknown reasons. We don't know much about the enemies but we know that they're most likely Sound imposters and that they have the ability to absorb chakra, making their own stronger. That's why I sent Lee. Trust me when I tell you that I didn't want to. I want Lee to be here with you as much as you do, but my hands were tied. I sent a team of the strongest taijutsu users in the village, Lee being one of them. I'm really sorry, Tenten, but I had to."

Tenten was silent as she let Tsunade's words sink in. As she stood quietly, Tsunade got up from her desk and walked up to Tenten, putting both her hands firmly on her shoulders.

"Tenten, Lee is strong and I wouldn't have hope sending anyone else on this mission. I don't think that he'll be here in time for you to have your baby, but he will return, I swear on my own life that he will. In the meantime, don't ever hesitate to come to me for help. I just hope that next time it's personal, and not busting down more door while I'm at work."

Tenten looked up at Tsunade and gave a small smile.

"I'm sorry for intruding, Lady Tsunade, I really am. I appreciate all the information you've given me."

Tenten took a step back from Tsunade and gave her a small bow. Next, the looked over her shoulder and gave Naruto a death glare. He gave a sporadic jump, knowing exactly what Tenten wanted him to do.

"Uh, yeah Granny. I'm really sorry and uh, thanks," Naruto stuttered with a small bow.

Tsunade smiled at the shinobi. "Now get out of here, you two, before you guys make me angry again."

Without a second thought, Tenten and Naruto were out the door. Tsunade smiled to herself after they left.

"That Tenten has grown up so much. She sure is going to make a great mom."

* * *

Alrighty then. Sorry to keep you all anxiously waiting. I have the rest of the story mapped out and I can promise that there will be a baby Hyuga born in chapter 22. I PROMISE! I just can't promise a quick update, but I'll do my best :)


	21. The Attack

This story is SOOOOOO close to being done! I've had the last few chapters planned out for a really long time now and I CANNOT WAIT to type them up. They're gonna be good.

* * *

"Naruto, for the last time, I'm fine. You can go home."

"No," Naruto said, shaking his head. "I'm not going to leave you alone here when you're so close to having your baby."

"Naruto, I. Am. Fine," Tenten said, putting emphasis on each word. "Hinata sends someone over at least once a day, and I think that's plenty of enough help. I don't want someone breathing down my neck every hour of the day. I'm pregnant, not terminally ill."

Naruto looked deep into Tenten's eyes with his own. He eventually sighed, admitting defeat.

"Okay, fine, I'll leave, but I'm going to make sure Hinata is here first thing tomorrow to see if you have everything you need."

"Sounds good, Naruto," Tenten said, shoving Naruto out of her living room and towards the door.

"And if anything happens between that time, call me right away."

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say Naruto."

"I'm serious, Tenten."

"Alright, thanks, Naruto. Have a nice day."

Before Naruto had a chance to speak more with her, Tenten succeeded in pushing Naruto out of the door and she the door quickly behind him. Once the door was closed, Tenten leaned against it and let out a heavy sigh. She took a moment to observe her living room. She then placed a hand on her stomach and began to talk to her growing child.

"It's pretty empty, isn't it baby? Your dad, Lee, he's going to be gone for a while. I don't think that he'll be here to see your arrival but just remember that there are so many other people that love you that are going to be there. We'll make it through this, together."

Once she was finished speaking, Tenten placed her hands over her eyes as she began to cry.

"It's okay, I promise. Lee will be fine and he'll come back, safe and sound, just you wait."

Tenten kept muttering to her unborn child, but the more she spoke, she began to realize that she was trying to convince herself, not her son, that what she was saying was true.

xxx

"Tenten, are you sure that you're doing okay?" Hinata asked with a concerned look.

Tenten let out a heavy sigh. "Yes, for the millionth time, I'm fine."

"I just wanted to make sure. Naruto told me that you were pretty upset when you found out about Lee's mission, and he said you've been acting weird since. Sakura said the same thing."

"Hinata, he's only been gone for two days now. I've lasted well more than two days without him, even while I've been pregnant. I'm a shinobi and as a shinobi, I need to accept the fact that these things happen."

Hinata's sad look never left her face. "It's okay to be sad, Tenten. And it's okay to let other people know you're sad. Everyone needs a shoulder to cry on. It's not good to keep everything bottled up."

Tenten looked off into the distance. She felt the tears well up in her eyes, but she held them in. During the last nine months, she's always cried whenever she felt the need to cry, and almost every time she cried hard. She was tired of having to depend on other people. She was ready for this baby to come out of her so she could try to get her life back to as close to normal as she could.

Once she no longer felt tears rimming her eyes, she gave Hinata a thumb up, trying to mimic Lee's 'good guy' pose.

"I promised myself, long ago, that I would always push myself to be strong that the day before, stronger than yesterday. Lately, I haven't noticed myself getting any stronger, but that ends today. with the power of youth on my side, I vow, from this day on, to become stronger than the day before, and to be the person that I'd want my son to look up to."

Hinata giggled at Tenten's words. "You're becoming more and more like Lee, every day."

Tenten cringed. "Was it really that bad?"

Hinata waved her hand at Tenten. "No, no it was really adorable. And there are many days when I think being like Lee isn't too bad."

Tenten smiled as she rubbed her stomach. "Yeah, that Lee is something else. He's been a handful since day one. There's no way I can pretend that I don't miss him, though."

"Well then," Hinata said, jumping up and grabbing Tenten's hands. "Let's try to get your mind off of Lee. So, when are you going to tell me what my nephew's name is?"

"Hinata, I told you, it's a secret until he's born," Tenten said with a smile. "Besides, it's getting late so you should probably go home."

Hinata sighed, but her smile remained on her face. "If you say so. Is there anything you'd like for me to pick up before I come over tomorrow?"

"Nope, I'm pretty sure I'm all stocked up on everything I need."

"Alright then, I guess I'll head out. I'll see you tomorrow, Tenten!"

"Bye, Hinata!"

The two girls exchanged a quick hug before Hinata took off from Tenten's house. Tenten smiled to herself before she took a trip to her kitchen.

"I'm feeling a cup of hot chocolate before I go to bed."

As Tenten started to prepare her late night beverage, she noticed that she didn't have any milk in her refrigerator.

"Dang it, I should've asked Hinata to pick some up for me."

Tenten turned to look at the clock in the kitchen to see what time it was. The clock read 9:42 pm. She debated whether or not she should go to the mart across the street for milk. She knew that if any of her friends found out that she went out so late all alone, she'd get an ear full from all of them. But she was pregnant, and dammit, she wanted some hot chocolate.

So with that, she grabbed her house keys and her wallet and left out the front door, locking it behind her. The closest mart was about a block from her house. Normally, it would take her about a minute to walk there, but since she was carrying a lot of extra pounds, the trip took about five minutes instead. She went inside, purchased a pint of milk, and started to make her way back home. She noticed that the entire trip back, she was being followed by three people. She stopped at her front door, but before she took her keys out of her pocket, she spoke out loud for her stalkers to hear.

"You know that I'm a jonin, right? I don't think it's in your best interest to follow me around."

One of the people trailing her stepped forward. The person was a man that Tenten did not recognize. He wore tattered clothing and he looked like he hadn't bathed in at least a week. His two friends had a similar look to him. The man in the center began to speak.

"Oh really, you're a jonin? So that means you make enough money to give to us."

"I don't have any money, believe me when I say that. I'll give you one chance to back off and go away. If you don't, I'm going to make you regret it."

"Oh, pregnant kitty's got some claws. Too bad she's probably all meow and no bite."

The man in the center took a step forward and Tenten immediately placed her hand into her hip pouch, grabbing a hold of four shurikens. After the center man looked over to his two henchmen, the three took off running towards Tenten, ready to attack. At that point, Tenten launched her shuriken at the two men on the side, easily knocking them down. She didn't have enough time to grab more shuriken before the last man grabbed her into a hold. Tenten easily released herself from the man's grasp but the man nearly got a few slashes at her with a kunai.

Tenten quickly pulled a scroll from one of her pockets and poured some chakra into the scroll in order to summon up a sickle and chain. Tenten took a few swings at the man, and he backed up, finally realized that he was outmatched by Tenten. Once she got close enough, Tenten wrapped the chain around the man's neck, strangling him. She held a tight grip until the man passed out. After that, Tenten loosened her grip on the chain, allowing the man to fall to the ground, unconscious, but not dead. Tenten smiled at her handy work before she felt a strong feeling of faintness come over her.

"Man, I barely used any chakra, so why am I so tired?"

Before Tenten had a chance to think about it, she fell over onto the ground as she fainted.


	22. The Birth

Hinata turned the corner onto the street that Tenten lived on. Even though it was the beginning of July, the sky felt nothing like summer. Instead, the air was foggy and dreary. Hinata continued her walk to Tenten's house until she noticed some people lying on the ground. She first noticed two men with shuriken stuck in their back. They were both breathing, but unconscious. Next, Hinata saw a larger man, also unconscious but he had no shuriken piercing his body, but instead bruises around his neck. Right next to the man, Hinata saw Tenten. Ignoring the other men, Hinata ran up to Tenten and tried to shake her awake.

"Tenten! Tenten, come on, wake up!"

When Tenten didn't respond, Hinata activated her Byakugan. She noticed that Tenten's chakra was nearly depleted. Knowing that wasn't strong enough to carry Tenten all by herself, Hinata took off to Naruto's house, which was a short distance from Tenten's.

She knocked frantically on his door, waiting for Naruto to answer. He eventually opened the door, clearly being woken up by the fact that he was rubbing his eyes.

"What's up, Hinata?"

"Hurry! It's Tenten! Come quick!"

Hinata's urgency immediately woke Naruto up and he and Hinata took off to where Tenten was. Once they both got there, Naruto stopped and looked around at the scene before him.

"What the heck happened?"

"I don't know but Tenten has barely any chakra left."

Naruto quickly ran up to Tenten and lifted her up, carrying her in his arms.

"I'll take her to the hospital. You go to the Hokage's office and get Granny Tsunade."

"Right!" Hinata replied as they both took off in different directions.

xxx

Naruto burst through the doors of the hospital and started to shout.

"Hey! I need some help, quick!"

Sakura was the first one to notice Naruto and rolled her eyes at him.

"Naruto, you can't just come in here causing a scene. I've told you-"

Sakura cut herself off when she noticed that Naruto was holding Tenten in his arms.

"Oh my god, Tenten!"

Sakura ran to a vacant hospital room and Naruto followed. Once he got inside, he placed Tenten down on the bed and Sakura began to check her vitals.

"All of her chakra is gone. What happened?" Sakura asked, frantically.

"I don't know. Hinata just found her like this when she went to see her in the morning."

Sakura placed her hands on Tenten's chest as she started to pour some of her own chakra into Tenten.

"I know it's not much, but I'm going to give her some of my chakra, just to make sure she stays alive long enough for us to figure out what's wrong."

"Do you have any idea what could be wrong?" Naruto asked Sakura.

"I have no clue, but I do know that we don't have a lot of time."

Right after Sakura finished saying what she had to say, Tsunade burst into the hospital room, Hinata following her behind.

"Out of my way!"

Naruto quickly did a sidestep, allowing Tsunade to get close to Tenten in order to examine her. She moved her hands quickly, a green glow emitting off of them. She hovered her hands over Tenten's womb and she gasped.

"Sakura, go get an OR prepped. We need to do an emergency C-section immediately."

"But, m'lady, are you sure?"

"NOW SAKURA!"

"Yes, m'lady," Sakura said as she ran out of the room.

Tsunade turned her head to look at Naruto once Sakura left.

"Naruto, I need to you find Shikamaru and tell him to meet up with Lee's squad and switch him out and get him over here."

"Right!" Naruto said before taking off, out of the building.

Tsunade turned back to Tenten, doing some last minute fixes to her before she goes into surgery. Hinata took a step towards Tsunade.

"Lady Hokage, what's wrong with Tenten?"

"She has prenatal chakra consumption. Basically, her baby is consuming her chakra and will continue to consume it until she dies."

Hinata gasped and placed her hands over her mouth in shock. She continued to speak with her hands covering her mouth.

"Can you help her?"

"Yeah, I think we can, but we need to act fast."

Once Sakura came back to the room that Tenten was in, together she and Tsunade took Tenten into the operating room. Hinata was waiting right outside the door, anxiously waiting for new news about Tenten. As she was waiting, Naruto returned from his search for Shikamaru. He walked up to her and sat in a seat next to the one she was sitting in.

"Anything new?"

Hinata nodded to Naruto. "Lady Tsunade said that she has prenatal chakra consumption. I'm not completely sure what that is, but she told me that her baby will consume her chakra until she dies."

Naruto angerly slammed his fist down on his legs.

"Dammit, I wish there was something I could do to help her. I promised Neji that I'd protect her with my own life. She just can't die."

Hinata placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "You know how strong Tenten is. She has been in situations a lot tougher than this one. We both just have to keep some faith that she'll recover."

Naruto looked up at Hinata and gave her a weak smile in response.

xxx

"How's everything looking so far, Sakura?"

"She's almost on her last ounce of chakra. Other than that, everything looks fine."

Tsunade nodded at her student and picked up some medical tools from a nearby tray.

"I'm going to get started then."

Tsunade leaned forward, over the operating table and started by creating an incision in Tenten's abdomen. After a few minutes, the sounds of cries could be heard in the room. Sakura smiled brightly as a tear fell down her face.

Tsunade stood up straight and took the baby over to a table. As she started to clean the baby, Sakura asked her instructor a question.

"Lady Tsunade, if I remember correctly, prenatal chakra consumption can only happen if the baby has a Kekkei Genkai. Neither Tenten or Lee have a Kekkei Genkai, so how could this happen?"

Tsunade did not turn around and continued her work as she replied to Sakura.

"Come look at this child and tell me who you think the father is."

Slightly confused, Sakura walked over to stand next to Tsunade. Sakura then locked eyes with pale, pupil-less lavender eye. Sakura gasped and looked up at Tsunade.

"It seems that this little guy has the Byakugan," Tsunade said.

Before Sakura had a chance to question more, alarms started to go off on the monitors.

"What's happening?" Tsunade shouted.

Sakura ran over to Tenten to check on her vitals.

"Her pulse, m'lady. It's dropping," Sakura yelled over to Tsunade.

Tsunade scuffed. "Dammit, why now? We were so close. Do all you can to keep her heartbeat going."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Sakura's hands started to glow green as she placed them over Tenten's chest. Sakura has a concerned look on her face as she worked on Tenten.

"Come on, stay with us."

xxx

Tenten woke up with a start. She looked at her surroundings, trying to gain control of her senses. She noticed that she was in her room. She swung her legs around to the side of the bed, placing her feet on the floor, ready to stand up. Before she could stand up, the door to her room opened slightly. Next, Tenten heard a voice on the other side of the door.

"May I come in, Tenten?"

Tenten was shocked to hear a familiar voice. She spoke out loud, her voice cracking in the process.

"Neji, is that you?"

"Yes."

Tenten stood up and ran over to the door, opening it swiftly and jumping onto Neji, wrapping her arms around him, hugging him.

"I can't believe it's you, you're really here!"

Neji chuckled into her ear. "Of course I'm still here, I only went to the restroom to bathe."

Tenten pulled her head back, light tears falling from her eyes.

"I never thought I'd see you again. I'm so happy. What happened to you?"

Neji gave Tenten a perplexed look. "What are you talking about? Did you get hurt during training yesterday? I'm concerned that you might have hit your head."

"Wait," Tenten said realizing something. "What are you doing here? We usually meet on the training grounds at dawn. Why are you at my house?"

"Tenten, have you forgotten? I moved in to live with you once the war was done."

"Really?" Tenten said with her eyebrows scrunched together. "But what about the Hyuga clan? They're okay with you being with a commoner like me?"

"Of course," Neji told her with a perplexed face. "They allowed it with no questions asked. Seriously, Tenten, I think I should take you to the hospital. I believe that something is wrong. You are asking strange questions."

Neji grabbed Tenten's hand and tried to pull her out of the room, attempting to escort her to the hospital. Tenten stayed planted where she was, thinking hard. This scene reminded her too much of being stuck in Madara's Infinite Tsukuyomi. She was happy that Neji was back in her life, but it wasn't right. In the real world, Neji was dead, no matter how much it hurt.

"No, Neji, you should be dead. What's going on?"

"Tenten, why are you sputtering nonsense? I am right here, in the flesh."

Tenten looked skeptically at Neji. Suddenly, her eyes got wide and her free hand grasped her stomach.

"My baby!"

Neji turned around quickly, confusion etched on his face. "Baby?! You don't have a baby. At least, I hope you don't."

Tenten looked down at her stomach and noticed that her figure hadn't changed from the way it was before the war. Her abdomen was flat and tight, and her regular mission attire still fit her. She continued to stare at her lower half until Neji leaned down to kiss her. At first, she was shocked that he kissed her. Eventually, she accepts the contact and began to kiss Neji back. After a few moments, Neji pulled back and looked sweetly into Tenten's eyes.

"I don't know what is happening to you, but I promise you, if you stay here with me, I will protect you and everything will be okay."

Tenten thought for a moment. This might be a dream, but was it really that bad for her to stay in it? Neji is alive and living with her. Their relationship was no longer a secret. They are both able to love each other peacefully. Tenten opened her mouth, prepared to tell Neji that she would stay when a bright light appeared behind him.

"Please, Tenten," Neji pleaded. "Please stay with me."

Tenten took a step back. While she wanted nothing more to go along and live in eternity with Neji, she had someone to take care of back in her world. Her son. She looked up at Neji and gave him a sad smile.

"I'm sorry Neji, but I can't. I have to go back and protect my son. Protect our son."

After the words left her mouth, the image of Neji in front of her began to disappear. She was soon surrounded by nothing but darkness. Tenten began to panic, believing that she had died and this was where she would spend eternity, but she heard faint noises in the distance. She looked around, searching for where the voices were coming from. Once she pinpointed what direction the voices were coming from, she started to walk in that direction.

xxx

"Guys, I think Tenten is waking up!"

Tenten clearly heard that the voice belonged to Naruto. Wanting to confirm her suspicions, Tenten tried to open her eyes. She eventually succeeded but she had to blink many times before she could clearly see Naruto's face in front of her. Tenten tried to sit up but discovered it to be a challenge due to pain in her abdomen, close to her hips. Naruto saw her struggling and help her sit up in her bed. Tenten looked around at everyone in the room. Sakura, Naruto, and Tsunade surrounded Tenten's bed, worried looks on their faces.

"What happened?" Tenten asked, her voice cracking in the process.

Sakura and Naruto looked over at Tsunade, silently asking her to explain Tenten's current situation. Tsunade sighed and made eye contact with Tenten.

"Tenten, what's the last thing you remember?"

Tenten thought for a moment before answering. "I went to the mart to get some milk and these guys tried to jump me. I simply knocked them unconscious. I don't remember anything after that."

Tsunade, Naruto, and Sakura exchanged fretful looks with each other.

"Tenten, you passed out and almost died. You started to have prenatal chakra consumption. When you let out chakra to summon a weapon, your baby noticed the chakra and began to consume it. Hinata and Naruto rushed you here and we had to do an emergency C-section. Lee should be here any minute. I sent Shikamaru out to switch places with him on the mission."

Tenten looked around at all the people in the room. What she just heard was a lot to take in, but there was one thought that nagged at her mind.

"My son, is my son okay?"

Naruto smiled at Tenten. "Yeah, Hinata has him right now. I'll go get her."

Sakura and Tsunade watched as Naruto left the room. Once he was gone, Tsunade turned to look at Tenten. She had a stern look in her eyes.

"Tenten, prenatal chakra consumption can only happen if the child possesses a Kekkei Genkai."

When she realized what Tsunade was implying, Tenten's eyes went wide. She switched her glance between Sakura and Tsunade many times before speaking.

"So, you guys know the truth."

"Yes," Tsunade said with a nod. "It's obvious that your son possesses the Byakugan and that Lee isn't the father, Neji is."

* * *

Welcome to the world, baby Hyuga! I guess no one can really celebrate that intense chapter. I'll try to update quickly. The next chapter you'll learn the name of the baby and some loose ends of the story are going to begina to get tied up. ONLY 3 CHAPTERS LEFT! WOO!


	23. The Confession

Alright guys, this is three updats in one day. I'm going to sleep now. Peace out.

* * *

Tenten looked at Tsunade, unsure of how to respond to the information she was just told. Unable to conjure up a good enough reply, Tenten simply stared off, avoiding eye contact with both Tsunade and Sakura. Tsunade quickly the noticed the cold shoulder she was getting from Tenten, causing her anger to rise.

"Tenten, this is serious. I don't think you understand how dire this situation. Illegitimate children of the Hyuga clan are executed and since you succeeded in giving birth, you're sure to be executed as well."

Tenten finally spoke up. "Why can't his real father just stay a secret? The Hyuga clan never has to know."

"Tenten, only babies from the Hyuga clan have lavender eyes," Tsunade said. "And besides, I'm obligated to tell the Hyuga council about this situation."

Both Sakura and Tenten's eyes went wide.

"M'lady, you wouldn't do that. You can't. You promised to help Tenten out."

Tsunade sighed and she gave Tenten a sad look.

"I'm sorry Tenten, but my hands are tied. The Hyuga clan donates a generous amount of money to the Hidden Leaf Village every month. In return, the village leaders promised to uphold and protect the Hyuga law. If the Hyuga clan found out that I kept this a secret, not only would my title of Hokage be in danger, the Hyuga clan would cut their funding and the village would begin to perish. There's nothing I can do."

Tenten shut her eyes tight as she tried to hold back tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes. Failing in her attempt, she looked up to the Hokage, streams of tears falling down her face.

"What do I do, Lady Tsunade? I want nothing more than to protect my son, but I don't know if I can do that."

"I'll tell you what," Tsunade said with a sigh. "Once Hinata gets here, I'll start running up your discharge papers. I'll let you talk to whomever you need to and I'll give you some time to sleep on it. After three days, I'm going to tell the Hyuga leader what has happened."

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade," Tenten said between sobs.

There was suddenly a knock on the door. A moment later, Hinata poked her head in and smiled.

"Someone's here to see you, Tenten."

Tsunade placed her hand on Sakura's shoulder and started to lead her out of the room.

"Let's give Tenten some space."

After Sakura and Tsunade left the room, Hinata stepped in, holding a bundled blue blanket in her arms. She walked up to Tenten and placed the bundle in her arms. Once Tenten had a hold of her baby, she gazed at his features. The shape of the baby's eyes was similar to Tenten's but every other feature resembled Neji. From the chiseled chin, to the slender nose, to the fair colored skin, and the lavender eyes, this child was nearly the spitting image of Neji when he was a baby. A tear fell down Tenten's face as she admired her son.

"Hey, there little guy. You caused quite a stir, didn't you. Good thing we're both safe now. I promise that I will always protect you, no matter what."

Hinata leaned forward a bit with a smile plastered on her face.

"So, what's his name?" Hinata asked eagerly.

Tenten looked up at Hinata and smiled.

"Kugi. Kugi Hyuga."

Hinata gave Tenten a strange look, causing Tenten to laugh.

"Kugi means nail," Tenten said. "Like how Neji's name meant screw."

Hinata clasped her hands together in joy.

"Oh, how sweet. The father and son share similar names as well as a birthday!"

"Birthday?" Tenten said, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

Hinata smiled brightly. "Today's July 3rd."

July 3rd. That was Neji's birthday.

Tenten looked down at her baby and smiled.

"I guess you're gonna be a daddy's boy, aren't' you, Kugi?"

The baby started to squirm slightly and gave a light giggle in reply to Tenten. Tenten and Hinata looked contently at the baby before Hinata looked at Tenten with concern in her eyes.

"So what are you going to do about the clan, Tenten? I don't think there's any way you can hide this from them at this point."

Tenten's happiness quickly faded.

"I... I really don't know Hinata. I can't think of anything I could possibly do. All I know is that I will do anything to protect this boy for the rest of my life."

"Y'know," Hinata began. "When I find myself at a crossroad, I go to Neji's grave and talk to him. I know it's kind of silly and I'm never really sure if he's actually listening or not, but I always seem to make the right choices after I go to see him."

Tenten frowned and looked down at her bed.

"I've never been to Neji's grave. I don't think I'd be able to handle it."

Hinata sighed. "I won't force you to do anything you're not comfortable with, but I personally don't think you could ever protect Kugi without facing Neji first."

Tenten stayed silent and continued to look down. Hinata gave Tenten one last stare before she got up.

"Alright, let's see about getting you out of this place."

"Thank you for everything, Hinata," Tenten said.

xxx

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Tenten nodded. "Yeah. You're right, Hinata. I need to face this or I'll never be able to move on with my life."

Hinata grabbed Tenten's hand that wasn't currently holding a baby and gave it a light squeeze.

"I'll be right at the entrance if you need anything."

"Thank you," Tenten said as she turned around and made her way into the cemetery.

She walked down a row of graves, having deja vu back to the funeral after the war. Tenten knew exactly where the victims of the Fourth Great Shinobi War were buried, she could never get the image out of her head since that day. She walked down the row, looking at all the name on the ground. Some she knew, and some she didn't. It was overwhelming to see all of them, everyone that lost their lives, all in the span of one single day. She continued her trek until she came across the name she was searching for.

Neji Hyuga.

Carefully, Tenten sat down while keeping a tight hold on her sleeping son. She kept silent for a long time, simply staring at the stone in front of her. Kugi began to cry, pulling Tenten from her daydream. She held her son closer to her, whispering to him, attempting to get him to quiet him down. After a short time, Kugi stopped crying. Tenten took it as her cue to start up talking.

"I guess Kugi doesn't like silence much. There's one thing he got from my side."

She moved her glance from the baby in her arms to the grave in front of her. The took a deep breath before she spoke again.

"Hi, Neji. I'm sorry it's been so long since I've come to see you. I was just so scared to come here and face you. I would like to introduce you to your son, Kugi. So far I discovered that he has my eye shape and that he doesn't like silence, just like me. Everything else he takes after you. He's exactly like you. A part of me is so happy because I always thought you were so handsome and charming, and it excites me to see our son take after you. But at the same time, it scares me because I know that more he's like you, the less I have a chance of hiding him from the Hyuga clan."

Tenten stole a glance at her son before continuing.

"I'm in big trouble, Neji. You know better than anyone that people from the Hyuga clan can't have children with a commoner like me, but here I am, a girl with no last name, just have given birth to a child with noble blood. I don't know what to do. Even if Tsunade doesn't tell the Hyuga clan, they're going to find out sooner or later. They can kill me, I don't care. I just don't want them to lay one finger on this precious boy. I don't know if I'm strong enough to stop them. It's like we're kids again. You and Lee were always in the front of the battle, knocking out bad guys left and right, and I was always in the background, waiting for a command from either of you. Now, it's so hard without you. I noticed that I don't know my true strength without you here to help guide me."

Tears started to fall as it finally started to sink in that Neji was truly gone.

"Why did you have to go? You promised me that you'd come back from that war, that we'd both be together without any fear of the Hyuga clan. Why did you lie to me? Why did you leave me here all alone? I'm too weak and I can't do this by myself, Neji."

"But you're not alone, Tenten."

The sudden voice startled Tenten. She looked over her shoulder to see Lee standing behind her. He took a few steps forward and sat down next to Tenten and looked at the gave of his fallen teammate.

"It is good to see you again, Neji. I must say, when Shikamaru told me what had happened to Tenten, I was so worried that I was going to lose her, just like how I lost you. On the way back to the village, all I could think about was how weak I was for not being able to save you or her. But when I got here, I had discovered that Tenten was okay and that she had given birth to a healthy baby boy. I know that I have asked you this before, but I must ask one more time for you to allow me to step in as this child's father and to help raise him in your place. It is the least I could do for not being able to save you."

Tenten looked over to Lee.

"Stop saying that. It's not your fault that Neji died. It wasn't anyone's fault. It was his own choice. His dream was to create his own destiny and he did just that."

Lee turned his head to look at his female teammate.

"And what was your dream?"

"To become a strong kunoichi like Lady Tsunade."

"Exactly. You cannot give up here. You must work hard and fight hard to overcome any obstacle in your way. Only then can you become the strong kunoichi you want to be."

Tenten huffed and looked back at Neji's grave.

"I always hated when your mumbo jumbo made sense."

Lee laughed at Tenten's playful frustration. Once he finished his laughter, he also looked at Neji's grave.

"This is the first time that the students of Team Gai have been together since the war."

Tenten smiled. "And now we have Kugi here so we can pass down Gai-Sensei's youthful Will-Of-Fire down."

"Is it not splendid thinking about how many people and legacies are passed down in this single child?" Lee said as he looked at the baby in Tenten's arms.

Tenten smiled at her son once again before she got up from her spot. Lee followed sit and stood next to Tenten.

"Do you want to hold him?"

Lee began to panic. "Really? Are you sure I can do that?"

Tenten laughed. "Come on Lee, you're Kugi's father, Neji even gave you permission to be standing in his place. I think a father can hold his own son."

Without another word, Lee reached out his hands as Tenten placed her child into his arms. After a short tutorial on how to properly hold a baby, Lee was holding Kugi tight against his body and watched the new life in his arms.

"He's really gorgeous, Tenten."

"Yeah, he takes after Neji a lot."

Lee smiled and looked up at Tenten. "I'm sure he would be gorgeous, even if he took after you."

Tenten's lips curled upwards as she blushed at Lee's compliment. She was never one to care about appearances, but I was always heartwarming to hear people say things like that to her.

"Well Neji," Tenten said, turning towards Neji's grave one last time. "I'm going to go and protect my son. I'm going to use all the strength I have to keep him safe, I promise you that. And I promise that I'll come to visit you more."

"And do not worry, Neji," Lee added. "I will do all I can to help Tenten as well. Your son will grow up and be surrounded by a youthful flame for years and years to come."

Tenten smiled one last time at the stone on the ground. Then, she crouched down, kissed her hand and placed her hand on the top of his grave.

"I love you, Neji."

After she stood up, she took Kugi from Lee's arms. With his hand's now free, Lee stuck a 'good guy' pose at the tombstone in front of him. Tenten giggled and started to walk towards the entrance to the cemetery. As she walked, she looked at Lee behind her.

"By the way, what took you so long? Tsunade said you should've gotten here while I was still in the hospital."

"I took a detour to give a lesson to those men who tried to jump you yesterday."

Tenten slammed her hand into her face.

"Don't tell me you beat them up."

"Of course I did not. But I might have drawn on their faces and given them strange haircuts before turning them into the police."

Tenten laughed at his response. After that, Tenten met up with Hinata at the front of the cemetery. She sensed Tenten behind her and turned around.

"Are you all done?"

"Yup, and I think I know what I have to do now."

"What's that? If it's anything I can help with, I'll gladly do it."

Tenten smiled. "Actually, Hinata, I'd really appreciate if you could arrange a meeting with your father for me."

xxx

Tenten opened the sliding door and entered a room within the Hyuga compounds. Hiashi was kneeling at a desk near the head of the room. When he was Tenten come in, he stood up and made his way to the middle of the room. He gave a small bow to Tenten before he knelt on the ground. Tenten also knelt on the ground and gave a bow to Hiashi, one significantly deeper than the one he gave. Once she straightened her upper body up, he looked at her and began to speak.

"It is very nice to see you, Tenten. I was pleased to hear from Hinata that you wished to speak to me. I apologize for not finding any time to visit you or your teammate, Rock Lee. Please believe me when I say that appreciate you two and everything you have done for my nephew over the years."

Tenten gave Hiashi a small smile. "You are very welcome, Lord Hiashi. Anything for a teammate."

"Now please," he responded. "It was obvious to all that you, Lee and Neji were much more than teammates. You two were like a brother and sister to him. Once his father died, Neji built a wall around himself that myself, nor my daughters could ever penetrate, but whenever he was around you his team, he always shined brightly and I was able to see the happy child that Neji use to be."

Tenten smiled again, but keeping quiet, allowing Hiashi to finish all that he had to say.

"I also heard from Hinata that you and Lee recently gave birth to a new son. Allow me to extend my congratulations."

"Thank you very much, sir."

"I know that if Neji were here, he would be even more happy than I am. He truly adored you two and your presence. I am sure that he would have protected your child as if it were his own."

A tear fell down Tenten's cheek. She's heard those same words from countless other people while she was pregnant, but hearing it from Neji's uncle, the man who raised him, really allowed Tenten to hear the truth in those words.

"Now to what do I owe this visit?" Hiashi asked Tenten, giving her her turn to speak.

"I actually need a favor from you, Lord Hiashi."

"I will gladly do all I can for you, Tenten."

Tenten looked down at the floor avoiding eye contact and took a deep breath.

"The night before the war, Neji confessed to me that he loved me. He told me that he found a loophole in the Hyuga law in order to be with me, a commoner. That same night, I conceived a child with Neji, the same child that I gave birth to yesterday. I discovered that I was pregnant after Neji had passed away. My initial decision when I made my discovery was to give birth and raise this child as if he weren't a Hyuga. Lee offered to step in and pretend to be the biological father of my son. I can no longer keep up this facade, though, because my son shows signs of possessing the Byakugan. Tsunade is also aware of this fact and is sworn to help protect Hyuga law, needing to turn me in if need be. I apologize for acting so rash and for trying to keep a secret from such a powerful and worthy clan. I simply feared for my life and the life of my son and I acted on impulse. Please, Lord Hiashi, is there anything you can do to save my son's life?"

Tenten fell to the ground and placed her hands and head to the ground. Hiashi was quiet for quite a while before he spoke.

"Please, Tenten, raise your head."

Tenten slowly lifted her upper body up, but she continued to look at the ground.

"You have no need to apologize, Tenten," Hiashi finally said.

His words shocked Tenten as she snapped her head up and make eye contact with the head of the Hyuga clan.

"While I am unaware of any loophole in Huyga law, I do know that my nephews love for you was true and genuine," Hiashi said. "There are times in my life when I feel that being born into the Hyuga clan is a curse, and I would guess that Neji felt the same way when it came to his love for you. I do not blame you for the decision you made regarding your child. In fact, I commend you for caring so deeply for your son. I understand how hard it must have been for you. You find out that you are with child meer days after the loss of your lover. That is emotionally draining enough, and that is before we add in the fact that this pregnancy interferes with Hyuga clan affairs. The fact that you are here, asking for my help, shows your strength and your dedication. Tenten, I am proud of you and the woman you are. I wouldn't want my nephew to have fallen in love with anyone else."

Tenten lifted her hands to her face to try to wipe off the stream of tears that had fallen down her face.

"Thank you so much, Lord Hiashi. Hearing all of this means so much coming from you."

Hiashi smiled at Tenten.

"Every word I speak is true. Sadly, though I may be the head of the clan, the council of elders is the one in charge of all Hyuge politics and affairs. I simply do not make the rules, and I, in turn, cannot bend the rules, no matter how much I would like to."

Tenten's eyes went wide as realization set in. She was going to be killed along with her son. This was it. These were her final days.

"Now please," Hiashi said, holding up a hand to Tenten. "Do no go thinking hasty, pessimistic thoughts. What I can do to help is arrange a trial in front of the Hyuga council."

"A trial?" Tenten asked, between sobs.

"Yes. Anyone in the Hyuga council can request a trial for any Hyuga affairs. At this trial, you may bring along two people to defend on your behalf. Please keep in mind that I will be there to defend on your behalf. I do believe that there is enough evidence to justify not having any type of execution."

Tenten jumped up and ran towards Hiashi, leaning over and wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

"Thank you so much, Lord Hiashi!"

At first, Hiashi was caught off guard, but eventually, he relaxed and wrapped his arms around Tenten. Once she noticed how disrespectful she had been, Tenten took a step back.

"I'm very sorry about that," she said with a bow.

"Please, it is not any problem at all," Hiashi said, laughing. "You're trial will be tomorrow at dawn. Until then, I will be praying for a favorable outcome."

* * *

Okay, but really, was this chapter not the best?


	24. The Trial

Sorry for the wait.

* * *

When Gai heard a knock on his door, he quickly set down what he was working on in the kitchen and wheeled himself over to the door to open it. On the other side stood his sole female student, Tenten. He smiled brightly at her.

"Well, nice to see you, Tenten. What brings you over here?"

Tenten looked at Gai with a weary expression on her face. She took a deep breath before speaking as quickly as she could.

"Lee isn't the father of my baby, Neji is and now the Hyuga clan knows the truth and they're going to kill me and my baby and I don't know what to do. Please help me Gai Sensei."

Barley registering what Tenten had just said, Gai paused for a moment, thinking about what to say next. The air was so silent that someone could hear a pin drop. Finally, Gai let out the air he was holding in and wheeled himself out of the doorframe

"How about you come inside to talk."

Tenten nodded and walked into her sensei's house. She took a seat on the couch and waited until Gai was situated right next to her, able to look at her face. His eyes remained intense but caring as he spoke again.

"Okay, now I need you to tell me what happened, calmly and slowly."

Instead of replying, Tenten looked blankly into the distance, avoiding eye contact with Gai. Gai patiently waited for her response. Once he realized he wasn't going to get it, he spoke again.

"Tenten, you need to tell me what's going on."

Tears fell down Tenten's face as she finally spoke.

"I'm so sorry, Gai Sensei."

Gai's eyes softened slightly. "What is it that you possibly need to be sorry for?"

"I lied to you," Tenten said with a sniffle. "Both Lee and I, we lied to you. Lee wasn't the one who got me pregnant; it was Neji, the day before the war. I should have told you the truth from the beginning. I really thought that Neji and I were going to come back from the war together. I never expected for any of this to happen and for everything to get so out of hand. I can't express to you how sorry I am."

Gai's stare cut through Tenten. She anxiously waited for his scolding. What she got instead baffled her. Gai threw his head back, closed his eyes and started to laugh. Tenten looked at him with a perplexed look, her tears quickly stopping. 

"Okay, level with me. I really don't see what's so funny about this situation."

Once Gai came down from his high, he took a few deep breaths and looked at Tenten with a smile on his face.

"I apologize, I should not have laughed. But did you honestly think that I didn't know the truth, Tenten?"

Tenten's mouth hung open slightly.

"What?" she questioned.

"I knew the truth this whole time. I know my three students better than anyone else in this village, better than Hiashi and Lee's parents, even. Never, in my right mind, was I going to believe that you got pregnant, especially mere days after Neji died. Once I thought about it, I knew exactly why you lied, and you have good reason to. That Hyuga clan is messed up. I really thought my involvement with the Hyuga's were done once Neji died, but it seems the cruelty never stops."

Tenten looked at her sensei dumbfounded. She took a moment to gather her thoughts before a smile crept onto her face.

"How could I have expected anything else from the coolest sensei ever?"

Gai gave Tenten a huge grin. Soon after, he opened his mouth to speak to her.

"Now I need you to fill me in on what has happened these last couple days. How did the Hyuga's find out about your child?"

"Well the day before I had my baby, these three creepy guys followed me home. They weren't any problem and I took care of them quickly. The issue was that I had pre-natal chakra consumption following right after I attacked them. Apparently, it's something that only happens when carrying a baby with a Kekkei Genkai. That, plus the fact that my son has piercing lavender eyes lead Lady Tsunade to learn the truth. She said that the Hyuga clan donates large amounts of money to Konoha, asking that the village aid in protecting their clan laws in return. She said that she'd give me three days to try to figure something out before she went to the Hyuga council. After that, I had a little talk with Neji at his grave and he told me to go and talk to Hiashi personally."

"And how did that go?" Gai asked with his eyebrows raised. He knew that a meeting with Hiashi would have gone wonderfully, or terrible. There was no in between. He still remembers his first meeting with Hiashi, and the words he spoke were still embedded in his mind.

"I guess that a weak buffoon as a teacher is just what Neji needs to learn his place in this world."

Gai looked over at Tenten, wary of what her answer will be. He was shocked when he saw a smile spread across her face.

"He was really supportive, actually. If it were solely up to him, my son and I would have nothing to worry about. Sadly, though, he is under check by the other members of the council and he can't bend the rules. The best he could do was arrange a trial in front of the Hyuga council. I can bring two guests to defend on my behalf.

Gai smiled at his student.

"That's great to hear, Tenten. I really believe that this trial is going to work in your favor."

Tenten looked at her teacher, pride and love shining in her eyes.

"Gai Sensei, I'd really like for you to be there to support me.

Gai took a moment to let Tenten's words sink in. Soon after, a steady stream of tears fell from his face as he started to blabber.

"Now when did you grow up and surpass me in youth, charm, and wisdom?"

Tenten gave a light laugh as she got up from her seat to give Gai a hug. He held on to her tightly as the happy tears continued to fall. Once he was able to contain himself, Gai pulled back and looked at Tenten.

"So who else are you going to ask to defend you?"

xxx

"Alright! I am so ready to kick some Hyuga ass!"

"Naruto," Gai started to scold. "None of us here are fans of the Hyuga clan, but you cannot go upsetting any of them. The future of Tenten and Kugi's lives depends on this moment."

Naruto sighed heavily. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Naruto looked over at Tenten who was sitting on the ground with her back against a wall. She had her head down, in between her knees as she shook slightly. Naruto walked over to her and crouched down, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay, Tenten?"

Tenten slowly picked up her head and she looked at Naruto.

"Whatever happens in there, please forget me and just save my son."

Gai wheeled himself over to where Tenten was sitting.

"Now, don't say that. You need to stay positive. I am sure that the Hyuga's will be convinced to allow both of you to live."

"We'll see," Tenten said as she lowered her head back onto her knees. A moment later, the door beside her opened and Naruto and Tenten scrambled to their feet. Hiashi closed the door and looked over to the people standing in the foyer.

"Thank you for coming, all of you. We are ready to begin if you three would please step inside."

Naruto, Gai, and Tenten nodded and made their way over to the door, which Hiashi opened once again. Naruto and Gai entered and Hiashi held out his arm, stopping Tenten before she could go in. She looked up at Hiashi in confusion.

"Remember that I am on your side," Hiashi said with a smile before he lowered his arm.

Tenten smiled back and walked in, standing between Gai and Naruto at the back of the room. Hiashi made his way to the front center of the room. He turned himself towards Tenten and bowed. The other Hyuga's in the room bowed as well to Hiashi and kneeled down. Tenten, Gai, and Naruto bowed as well and Naruto and Tenten sank to their knees to kneel. Hiashi ended the silent formalities by kneeling himself. He scanned the room silently before speaking.

"Please, state your name and the reason for being here."

Tenten swallowed a lump in her throat and replied.

"My name is Tenten and I am here because-"

"Tenten?" one of the elders spoke, cutting off Tenten. "Tenten what?"

"I have no family name, sir. I am simply Tenten."

There was a spark of chatter at Tenten's comment. She looked around the room, intimidated by the negative remarks she could hear whispered. She began to sink towards the floor before Hiashi held up his hand. Everyone in the room noticed this action and ceased their chatter. Hiashi looked at Tenten once more.

"Please continue."

Tenten took a deep breath.

"As I said before, my name is Tenten. I was orphaned as an infant, so I do not have a family name. About nine months ago, Neji Hyuga and I slept with one another and I discovered that I was pregnant with his child after he passed away. Three days ago, I gave birth to my son and he shows signs of possessing the Byakugan. I would like to ask all of you to consider sparing my son's life as well as my own."

There was chatter among the Hyugas until Hiashi spoke once again.

"And would you guests please introduce themselves?"

Naruto cleared his throat. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki. My father is the 4th Hokage and my sensei is Kakashi Hatake, the next in line for Hokage. Myself, along with my teammates Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno were the ones responsible for taking down the worldly threat, Kaguya Otsutsuki, nine months ago."

"Too bad you defeated her after Neji died," one of the Hyugas mumbled. Naruto heard this and snapped his head in the direction of the sound. Before he had a chance to cause a commotion, Hiashi caught everyone's attention.

"What about yourself, sir?" he asked looking at Gai.

"My name is Maito Gai. I was the squad leader of Team Three when Tenten and Neji were genin. I have also been Tenten's legal guardian since her assignment to my team."

"Objection!" someone shouted. Everyone in the room turned to look at the Hyuga who interrupted.

"If this girl was on the same team as Neji, that means that she is at least 18 years of age and is now a legal adult."

Gai's eyebrows came together in anger, but he kept his cool, kindly speaking to the Hyuga.

"That does not change the fact that I raised Tenten since she was 12 years old and taught her nearly everything she knows about being a kunoichi."

The Hyuga opened his mouth to speak again, but Hiashi gave him a look before he had the chance to say anything. Once the room was quiet, Hiashi spoke once more.

"Thank you. Now the trial is open for discussion. Does anyone have a question for Tenten or her guests?"

"I do," someone piped up. Tenten immediately recognized the man to be Neji's grandfather, the former head of the Hyuga clan. Hiashi glanced over at his father as he spoke.

"You may proceed, father."

"Thank you, my son. What I would like to know is this: if you were teammates with Neji, I am sure that you are aware of the Hyuga clan laws that are in place. Why did you choose to lay with my grandson, even though you were well aware of the consequences? Is your sexual willpower lacking that severely?"

Tenten opened her mouth, shocked by what was just insinuated. She was unable to form words and looked around the room baffled.

"You take that back!" Naruto growled. "Tenten was in love with Neji and he loved her back tenfold. This had nothing to do with sexual willpower!"

The former head glared at Naruto.

"You think silly, trivial things such as love matter? They do not. Love is of unimportance and because of it, there is now an illegitimate child on this earth that possesses the Byakugan and that must not stand."

"Sir," Tenten said, regaining back her voice. "Neji and I discussed this very situation before our son was conceived. Neji said that he found a way around Hyuga law, allowing us to be together. Neither of us fathomed the idea of him dying or myself getting pregnant."

Neji's grandfather scoffed. "Well you had nine months to get rid of the child yourself, did you not?"

This statement caused a gasp from many people in the room, both those from that Hyuga clan as well as those not. Gai took that moment to speak up.

"Abortion is illegal in Konoha. Even if it wasn't you could never expect any woman to do that to her child."

"Like I care what happens to this girl," Neji's grandfather rebutted. "And what is this nonsense about 'a way around Hyuga law?' There is no such thing. It seems that you let your silly infatuation with my grandson cloud your memory."

"That is incorrect," Hiashi interjected.

The elder looked at his son in shock. Hiashi simply ignored the look and continued.

"Tenten spoke to me yesterday and mentioned this accusation that Neji spoke of. After doing some investigating in both Neji's quarters as well as the Hyuga family library, I believe I discovered the loophole that Neji was speaking of."

The room fell silent, waiting for Hiashi to elaborate.

"There is a process that one can go through to annex themselves from the Hyuga clan. It involves the member giving up the use of their Byakugan as well as the use of their jutsu. Their eyes are forcibly taken from their head and they must undergo psychotherapy to forget all the Hyuga clan secrets. Once that is completed, the individual is put under an intense forbidden jutsu that rearranges DNA to ensure that a child would not have the Byakugan. Few Hyugas have attempted to go through this process in the past, but nearly everyone died in the process.

To say Tenten was shocked would be an understatement. Neji, the genius of the village, the first one of their age group to make jonin at the ripe age of 15, was willing to give up everything, his sight, his jutsu, his name, possibly even his life, all for her? While Tenten continued to get lost in her thoughts, Naruto's voice rang through the crowd.

"This has to account for something. Neji loved this clan, especially during his last days, but he was willing to give all that up for Tenten. Now you're telling me that you're going to kill this girl that Neji dedicated his life to, as well as his child?"

Neji's grandfather scoffed once more. "Well, I guess you all should consider this a blessing then. Neji is closer to seeing his new 'family' that he realizes," he said, putting a sarcastic stress on the word "family."

"If you could, please be level headed for a moment," Gai began, starting to lose his cool, but remaining respectful, nonetheless. "Tenten might not have a family to her name but I fail to see how she is not worthy enough for the Hyuga clan. She single-handedly defeated countless village enemies, she's the only person in this village that has 100% weapon accuracy, even with her eyes closed, and she knows the Hyuga fighting style like the back of her hand. She could aid any one of you in a fight right now, and she'd be able to protect your precious blindspot with ease."

Many of the Hyugas gasped at Gai's words. How could someone, let alone a commoner know of the Byakugan blind spot?

"Yes, Tenten knows all about the blind spot because Neji trusted her and told her, as well as myself and his other teammate, Rock Lee."

The former head's anger became obvious. "This is absolutely preposterous. How dare that defiant brat tell some commoners one of the Hyuga clan's biggest secrets? If he weren't already dead, I'd kill him myself this very second, along with his teammates, lover, and son."

"Don't you dare talk about Neji like that!" Naruto yelled.

The elder ignored Naruto and continued his rant. "I don't even see why we're having this trial. It is evident what the outcome should be. This woman, a commoner, blatantly broke Hyuga clan law and tried to hide it from the clan. I want her and that bastard child dead NOW!"

The tension was high in the room. Everyone was silent after the former head's outburst but everyone could hear Naruto and Gai's deep breathing. Contrary to that, Tenten held her breath as she tried her best to hold back her tears. The former head glared at her before he spoke again, quieter this time.

"I do believe that we are done here."

"One moment please," Hiashi said. "I have one more piece of information that I discovered while I was investigating. I do believe that it would be of great interest to you, father."

Neji's grandfather let out a sigh. "Very well."

Hiashi looked at Tenten as she quickly wiped away a stray tear that fell.

"Tenten, what do you know about your parents?"

"Nothing, sir."

"Well, as I mentioned earlier, the Hyuga annexation process is a very demanding one and most did not survive the process but one person did. Haruka Hyuga. She fell in love with a young man of Chinese descent who lives in the outskirts of Konoha. She went through the annexation process and survived. She then took on the name Song Ten. After discovering that, I asked Lady Kokage if I could look up Song's records and I learned that she had a daughter on March 9th, 19 years ago. That daughter is you, Tenten."

Tente looked at Hiashi with a blank expression on her face, not truly understanding what Hiashi was telling her. It wasn't until Gai began talking that Tenten finally comprehended the importance of this information.

"Wait, are you saying that Tenten has Hyuga blood?"

"Indeed she does," Hiashi said with a nod.

The entire room was silent once again. Hiashi looked over to his father, inviting him to respond, but he spoke no words. He only looked at Tenten in shock, along with all the other Hyugas in the room. Tenten opened her mouth to speak and stuttered at the words came out.

"I-I'm a Hyuga?"

"While your DNA does not possess the Byakugan, you do in fact have Hyuga blood running through your veins, Tenten."

Once Hiashi ended his comment, he looked around the room a final time, silently asking the council members if they had anything else they wished to say.

"I believe that the elders no longer have any comments." He gestured to Tenten, Naruto, and Gai. "I would like to invite the three of you to voice any last concerns.

Both Gai and Tenten shook their head. When Hiashi looked over to Naruto he slowly brought his head up from his gaze that was previously on the floor.

"Yeah, I got one thing to say. You Hyugas and your stupid laws make me sick. The way you run this place is sick. Branding people, torturing and killing innocent people, all of it is sick. Who gives a damn hoot about your secret? You all treat the rest of the world and even people in your own clan like animals. Before Neji and I fought in the Chunin exams, a wall built by his own family surrounded him. He was filled with so much resentment and hatred towards all of you. He wanted nothing more than to kill Hinata back then. Now, he sacrificed himself to save Hinata's life. That was only because Hiashi opened up to him and treated him like a nephew, not an animal for once. Everyone in the clan needs to make a change, just like Hiashi did, or else the clan is going to be torn apart from the inside, right under all of your noses."

While all the Hyugas in the room were angry with Naruto's words, no one dared to contradict him, the hero of the village, the savior of the world. When Hiashi was sure everyone was finished, he spoke a final time to the occupants of the room.

"If that is it, I would like to ask our guests to step out while we discuss."

Gai, Naruto, and Tenten left the room and shut the large door behind them. Tenten walked back over to where she was sitting before the trial started and sat back down. Gai approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "How are you doing, Tenten?"

"This is so much to take in. My son is most likely going to die, Neji was willing to give up everything to be with me and I just found out I'm a Hyuga."

Tenten started to hyperventilate. Trying to comfort her, Gai leaned over in his wheelchair and did his best to give her a hug, despite the fact that she was sitting down. She noticed his struggles and she stood up so they could properly hug each other. After a moment, Gai pulled away and smiled at her.

"And I promise that nothing will happen to you or your son. Even if I have to go in there and knock out every pupil-less jerk in there, you two are going to be safe."

Tenten smiled. "You wouldn't do that, Gai Sensei."

"Like hell, he wouldn't," Naruto piped up from behind Tenten. She turned to look at him. "And I'm going in there to help him kick some ass if need be."

Tenten laughed at her friend.

"You know, what you said in there was pretty ballsy, Naruto."

"It's all true. The Hyugas don't realize how corrupted and disjointed their clan is. All they're focused on is perception and impressions. If something doesn't change soon, they're all going to wind up killing each other."

At that moment, the door opened up again, revealing Hiashi. His face was expressionless, so no one could read the outcome of the private discussion.

"We have reached a decision. If Tenten could please step back inside."

Gai's breath caught in his throat.

"No. That was too quick. This can't be good."

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One more chapter! woooooooooooooo


	25. The End

I am sooooo sorry it took so long for me to update. There's been a lot going on. Welp, here is the last chapter. My baby is all grown up and ready to move on in the world. *cries* I'm gonna need a moment...

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Tenten swallowed hard and slowly walked over to the door that Hiashi was standing at. She paused to look up at his face, but she was unable to read his expression. She had no way of determining the outcome of the Council's discussion. She took in a large breath and held it in as she entered the large room once again. Every eye was on her. She looked around and saw that most of the Hyuga elders were giving her angry glares while others gave her looks of pity. These facial expressions weren't giving Tenten much hope.

Once he was situated at the front of the room, Hiashi bowed to the occupants. Everyone, including Tenten, bowed in return and kneeled to the ground, Hiashi doing the same not long after. He stared at Tenten as he began to speak.

"After discussing and taking to a vote, the majority of the council has decided to allow both yourself as well as your son to live."

Tenten's eyes got wide as she smiled. She couldn't help but let tears fall down her face. Her son was saved and she couldn't be happier. She opened her mouth to say her thanks, but Hiashi cut her off and continued to speak.

"But the council has asked that in return for your lives, the child wielding the Byakugan will be taken from your custody and raised in the Hyuga compound. He is never to learn the true identity of his mother as he grows up."

Tenten's tears stopped as she processed what was just said. He son is going to be taken away from her? Won't she get to see him grow up? She won't see his first steps or hear his first word or teach him how to throw kunai?

"Do you accept these terms?" Hiashi asked, cutting off Tenten's thoughts.

Tenten thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully before speaking.

"Will I be able to see him at all?"

Hiashi shook his head. "It has been decided that at this point in time you will have no visitation rights."

A tear fell down Tenten's face. She quickly wiped it away as she asked her last question.

"I named him Kugi. Can that continue to be his name?"

Hiashi looked around at the elders in the room and many of them nodded their head in approval. After scanning the room, Hiashi addresses Tenten question.

"Yes, it may."

Tenten closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Once she let out her breath, she opened her eyes and looked into Hiashi eyes.

"I accept the conditions. Thank you all for your generosity."

Hiashi replies with a nod of his head as he spoke one final time.

"In two days, Kugi will be taken to the Hyuga compound and there he will stay."

Tenten gave no reaction as she turned around slowly and left the room. When the door opened, Naruto and Gai quickly approached Tenten to hear the news.

"What did they decide? Are you two free to live?" Gai asked.

Tenten's eyes were dull as she stared off into space and answered.

"Neither of us will be executed," Tenten replied.

Naruto and Gai gave a small cheer in excitement.

"That's great Tenten!" Naruto exclaimed, pulling her into a hug. Tenten did not make an attempt to return Naruto's affection and instead stood lifeless as he embraced her. He quickly noticed her lack of excitement and questioned her.

"What's wrong, Tenten? This is great news, isn't it?"

Gai's eyes narrowed as he spoke to his student. "They asked for something in return, didn't they? What are they going to do?"

Naruto pulled back and looked at Tenten with a concerned look in his eyes. Both Naruto and Gai anxiously waited for Tenten's answer.

"They're taking him away from me. He has to live in the Hyuga compound without ever know who his mother is," Tenten said as tears started to fall from her eyes.

Gai stood speechless as he watched his student cry in front of him. Contrary to that, Naruto growled and started to walk his way to the door behind which the Hyuga council was.

"I'm going to give them all a piece of my mind."

Before he had a chance to open the door, Tenten grabbed Naruto's arm. At this point, she had stopped crying but her eyes were still red and puffy.

"Let it go Naruto. All I wanted was for Kugi to live and I got that. Let's just go, please."

After considering for a moment whether to listen to Tenten or not, Naruto nodded and the three ninjas made there way out of the Hyuga compound.

xxx

Tenten sat on her couch watching television. She had been in the same spot for the last three hours since she got up in the morning. Lee entered the living room from the kitchen and spoke to Tenten.

"Are you sure you are not hungry, Tenten? You have not eaten yet today and I am concerned about your malnutrition."

"I'm not hungry," Tenten replied in a monotone voice.

Lee opened his mouth, about to protests to Tenten, when there was a knock on the front door. Lee walked over to the door and opened it up, showing Sakura and Hinata standing on the other side. He smiled brightly at them.

"Sakura! Hinata! To what do I owe this honor?"

"Hey Lee," Sakura greeted. "We were wondering if Tenten was here."

Lee's happy expression immediately left his face.

"She is. In fact, she hasn't moved from the couch for hours. I am very worried about her."

Lee opened up the front door wide enough for Hinata and Sakura to come in. The two women took a few steps into Tenten house and they quickly noticed the women in question. She was sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the television ahead of her. She had bags under her eyes and it seemed that she was holding her breath as much as she could. Hinata and Sakura looked over at Lee, unsure of what to do. He looked back at the two with a sad expression.

"I will leave and do some training. Please talk to her and do anything you can to get her back to her usual self."

"Of course, Lee," Hinata spoke softly.

Lee nodded and left Tenten's house. Hinata walked over towards Tenten and sat next to her on the couch. She placed a hand on Tenten's shoulder, but the woman gave no reaction.

"How are you doing, Tenten?

"I'm fine," she mumbled quickly.

Sakura let out a short groan and walked closer to where Tenten was sitting.

"I've had about enough of this. I know that the situation stinks but you can't be acting like this Tenten. You need to get up and live life," Sakura said, her voice rising with every word.

Hinata nodded and replied quietly. "Neji would have never wanted you to live like this."

At the sound of her lover's name, Tenten perked up. But just as quickly as the reaction came, her sudden change in emotion quickly faded as well as she slumped back down on the couch.

Sakura groaned once more and Hinata let a single tear fall down her face. There was a silence between the three women for a long time before a cry broke out through Tenten's house. Once Tenten heard the cry, her eyes got wide in surprise and she quickly got up and made her way back to the nursery. Hinata and Tenten looked at each other in confusion before they both followed Tenten into the back room. Once they got close enough to see into the room, the sight before them shocked them. Standing before them, Sakura and Hinata saw Tenten standing in the middle of the room, holding her newborn son, cooing at him and smiling, successfully getting him to stop crying. The two people standing in the doorway couldn't believe that the person standing in front of them was the same person moping on the couch just a minute ago.

The only sound that could be heard were Kugi's quiet laughing and the murmurs coming from Tenten. Nothing else was spoken as Hinata and Sakura stared dumbfounded at the mother and son. Once Kugi's fussing was over, Tenten laid him back down into his crib and watched him. After a few moments, she spoke softly, startling Hinata and Sakura.

"He has such beautiful eyes, just like Neji. I used to tell Neji all the time how gorgeous I thought his eyes were but he always told me how much he hated them, how he thought it was some sick brand given to him at birth. I finally get what he was talking about now. My son has the most beautiful eyes, but because of those eyes, he's going to be taken away from me."

Tenten closed her eyes as she began to cry, clenching tightly to the edge of the crib. Hinata quickly took action and she ran over to Tenten, pulling her away from the crib to prevent any damage and she held Tenten tight as she cried. Tenten's cries got extremely more intense as time passed on. The crying got to a point where she was screaming in between her wails.

"Those stupid Hyugas! I hate all of them! They took Neji away from me and now they're trying to take my son away! It's not fair!"

Hinata kept a brave face and continued to hold Tenten as she screamed in her ear. Sakura continued to stand in the doorway, watching Tenten cry as stray tears fell from her own face. The three women stayed in these positions for longer than they could keep track of. Eventually, Tenten stopped crying but she continued to hold onto Hinata's clothes. Once Hinata knew that Tenten's episode was over, she pulled away from Tenten, wanting to look at her face, but still keeping a tight hold of her friend.

"I know how unfair my family is and I can't imagine how much this is hurting you, but you're stronger than this, Tenten. I know you are."

"Yeah," Sakura joined in, moving closer to Tenten. "Wasn't your team motto 'stronger than yesterday?' You need to get through this. The greatest satisfaction the Hyuga family is going to get is to see you broke and riled up like this. What you need to do is hold your head high and stick it to those Hyugas. Show them that you're not scared of them and you're not going to let them get to you. Show your enemies your strength. That's the best revenge."

Tenten let Sakura's words sink in. She was absolutely right. The Hyuga family wasn't able to kill her so the best they could do was try to break her. It's what they wanted, and it was exactly what they were getting. Tenten shook her head, attempting to clear her mind before she looked over at Sakura.

"You are absolutely right. I'm fortunate that neither Kugi nor I had to be killed, and I need to remember that."

Tenten smiled and looked down at her son sleeping in his crib. After a moment, she looked back up at her friends.

"And I'm very thankful to Hiashi for giving me an extra day with him. I know that when I have to give him up, he'll be in good hands. Hiashi will take good care of him, I'm sure of it."

"And I'll be there too," Hinata said, placing a hand on Tenten's shoulder. "I'm going to make sure that Kugi grows up to be as strong and caring as both his mother and father."

"Thank you, Hinata," Tenten said as she gave Hinata a quick hug.

"And thank you to you too, Sakura," she added as she also gave the pink haired girl a hug.

xxx

Tenten and Lee stood at the entrance to the Hyuga compound. Tenten held her son in her arms while Lee has a hand on Tenten shoulder. They both looked up at the gate ahead of them, not saying a word. Lee then broke the silence, turning his head to look at Tenten.

"Are you ready for this?"

Tenten closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I'm stronger than yesterday."

After she spoke, Tenten opened her eyes and gave a small smile and a nod to Lee. He smiled back and took his hand off her shoulder. While keeping a tight grip on Kugi, Tenten walked up to the front gate of the Hyuga compound and knocked. The door opened to reveal a Hyuga branch member.

"I will be taking the baby," the man said, extending his arms towards Tenten.

Tenten tightened her grip on Kugi as she hesitated.

"I'd rather give Kugi to Hiashi if that's possible."

The guard scowled. "Lord Hiashi is a very busy many. How insolent and rude of you to assume that-"

"That is quite enough, Jiro," a voice boomed from behind the guard.

The branch member jumped slightly and quickly turned around and gave a bow.

"Please remember that I am in charge of this clan. No longer is my father the leader. Please, do not take orders from anyone other than myself."

"Y-yes sir," the boy said, giving Hiashi another bow.

"Now if you would please, I would like to have a private conversation with this woman."

"Yes sir," the boy said one last time as he scrambled away.

Once Hiashi was sure that the boy was out of ear's reach, he spoke to Tenten.

"I apologize for that debacle. I have expressed to my father many times not to coerce the branch members. As the saying goes, 'old habits die hard.' But please believe me when I tell you that I am doing all I can, in my power, to change the Hyuga clan. I want this clan to be a family that my brother and nephew would be proud to be apart of."

Tenten smiled at Hiashi. "I do believe you, and I want to thank you very much. It's settling knowing that my son will be raised by caring and capable hands."

Once Tenten finished her sentence, she handed the baby in her arms over to Hiashi. Once he had a good hold of him, Hiashi replied to Tenten.

"Of course. My nephew was willing to give up everything for you. The least I could do is raise your son and make you proud of him."

"I really hope so," Tenten said to Hiashi, reaching out her hand to stroke Kugi's hair. She gave a sad smile to her son as she spoke to him one last time.

"My precious Kugi. I love you so much, please don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. Your father and I, we both love you. You are such a beautiful blessing and I know you're going to grow up to become a strong shinobi. Be kind to others, especially your aunts and grandfather. The three of them care about you just as much as I do. And if nothing else, each day remember to be stronger than yesterday."

Tenten ended her speech by leaning forward and placing a kiss on Kugi's forehead. She took a step back and looked up at Hiashi.

"Thank you again, for everything," Tenten said to the clan leader.

"You are very welcome, Tenten. We will be leaving now. I give you my best regards."

"Goodbye," Tenten said quietly as Hiashi closed the gate to the compound.

Tenten continued to stare at the closed gate, holding her breath. Eventually, she let out her breath with a heavy sigh before she turned around and walked back over to where Lee was standing. He opened up his arms, inviting Tenten in a hug. She accepted his quiet request and wrapped her arms around his midsection, returning the embrace. Soon after, she pulled away and looked up at the sky. There was a silence before Lee spoke to Tenten.

"I am surprised you are not crying. It is okay to cry, especially in situations like this. It is not good to keep feelings inside."

Tenten looked back at Lee and gave him a small smile.

"I've done a lot of crying that last nine months. And right now, I really don't see a reason to cry. My son is alive and healthy and he is going to grow up being cared for by people who love him. I could never ask for anything more."

Lee gave Tenten a grin. "Your positivity is radiating, Tenten. That makes me very happy. Is there anything you would like to do now?"

Tenten pondered Lee's question for a moment before she gave him a full smile.

"We should run laps around the village and spar once we're done. Just like the old days."

TO BE CONTINUED IN THE SEQUAL

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Well that's a bittersweet ending if I've ever seen one. Welp everyone, you heard it here first. There's a sequal! I have the first chapter already typed up and ready to go (partially one of the reasons this chapter took so long to get posted). I'm going to put it up right after posting this chapter, so it should be there once you finish reading this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed Stronger Than Yesterday and I hope you check out my new story!


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